Whale Pearl Harbor.FOR WEEKS the parties to the great whale confrontation were wheeling slowly into place, even as the Japanese fleet was steaming toward the Antarctic with the intention of slaughtering three hundred minke whales. The dispute has now come to a point, with Commerce Secretary William Verity's declaration that the Japanese plans do indeed violate the international whaling whaling, the hunting of whales for the oil that can be rendered from their flesh, for meat, and for baleen (whalebone). Historically, whale oil was economically the most important. Early Whaling Whaling for subsistence dates to prehistoric times. moratorium A suspension of activity or an authorized period of delay or waiting. A moratorium is sometimes agreed upon by the interested parties, or it may be authorized or imposed by operation of law. , followed up by a vote to that effect by the International Whaling Commission International Whaling Commission (IWC) An intergovernmental organization created in 1946 to control the rapid escalation of whaling. The original purpose of the IWC was to preserve whale stocks for commercial whalers. . Verity ver·i·ty n. pl. ver·i·ties 1. The quality or condition of being true, factual, or real. 2. Something, such as a statement, principle, or belief, that is true, especially an enduring truth: , best known for his desire to permit high-tech sales to the Soviets, is correct on this issue. The Japanese claim that the proposed slaughter would be for "research purposes," permitted under the moratorium; but, as it happens, the meat from the whales will be sold commercially "to support the research," and the scientific rationale for the research (to find the minke birth or replacement rate) is pretty thin. Of course, Verity's action doesn't mean much by itself. Japan's U. S.-waters fishing quota for 1988 will be officially cut in half, but it was already at zero, and the Japanese were already violating it. If the "crisis" isn't resolved, the quota may be permanently eliminated, and U.S. markets might be closed to Japanese fish products-but we'd lose that trade war, as fishing is one of the few industries in which we have a trade surplus with Japan. For all the sound and fury, there actually are some moral issues here. First, the Japanese ought to stand by their agreement. Second, the "save the whales" crowd is not ga-ga. Hard-headed scientists have long suspected fairly high intelligence in certain breeds of whale and dolphin, possibly enough to make whale hunting a different sort of ethical issue from mere concern for endangered species endangered species, any plant or animal species whose ability to survive and reproduce has been jeopardized by human activities. In 1999 the U.S. government, in accordance with the U.S. . Though they were willing to interpret the treaty loosely so long as no one was watching, the Japanese are clearly less enthusiastic about losing face. Japanese Fisheries fisheries. From earliest times and in practically all countries, fisheries have been of industrial and commercial importance. In the large N Atlantic fishing grounds off Newfoundland and Labrador, for example, European and North American fishing fleets have long Minister Sato claims, "If Japan's action to pursue research whaling becomes a big issue and if criticism becomes accelerated, we will reconsider our decision at that stage." Moral force works Force Works was a short-lived Marvel Comics superhero team. It first appeared in Force Works #1 (July 1994). The group was formed from the remains of the West Coast Avengers, after leader Iron Man left the Avengers due to an internal dispute. occasionally--at least with our allies. President Reagan, under the whaling agreement, must now tell Congress what he plans to do, and, if nothing, why. |
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