Tuesday, June 17, 2003

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THE AMAZING W-MEN

So many things to post, but all pre-empted by this astonishing ad in the Japan Times on Monday June 16, from Japan's "Institute of Cetacean Research," in which ad 5 individuals (a mayor, a "commentator journalist," an actor (trustee of the "Panda Protection Institute of Japan"), a comic artist and the "Director General" of said "Institute," seriously make these amazing statements:
The Mayor: "...By protecting only whales that are at the top of the marine ecosystem, humans are destroying the ecosystem. Who on earth is going to take responsibility for this?"
The Commentator Journalist:" Left as it is, the ban on whaling--an overprotective measure--will allow whales to consume all the fish..."
The Actor-Panda Protector: "Considering the future of mankind, I believe it is our responsibility not only to utilize whales as a food source but also to resume sustainable whaling in order to regain the balance of the ocean."
The Comic Artist: "This is what the whales in the waters surrounding the Japanese archipelago would say: 'Our numbers have increased a bit too much, we have to scramble for fish, as things stand now we're worried if we, whale species, will be preserved for the future, it may seem a radical measure but we were wondering if someone would balance up the situation by whaling.'"
The Director General: "The world is beginning to understand that overprotection of whales is an inappropriate management strategy that has a negative effect on fisheries industries and may lead to a destruction of the ecosystem."

This is the biggest mental black hole I've seen on one page of newsprint since Dubya's last unscripted press conference! What a team! The W-Men!! All that vapor and not a word even hinting at the fact that it's human predation that has brought the whales and the fishes and the ocean and the earth and ourselves to these very ruinous straits, and these dits (no 'pun' intended) think the solution resides in doing more of the same!! Sounds like blinkered big business to me. I have never knowingly used whale products, but I for one am henceforth carefully boycotting all whale and fish products.

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