15 April 2007

From Today's New York Times

To the Editor:

Re “Japan’s Whaling Obsession” (editorial, April 1): Japan strongly supports the international protection of endangered whale species and advocates for the sustainable harvest of species in abundance only.

Whaling for scientific research is indispensable to establish the proper conservation of whales and ocean resources. Japan is sincerely committed to researching whales’ dietary habits and nutrition status, as well as the shift in whale populations by age over time.

Such studies provide valuable analytical data that reveals much about the whales’ life, their status and their environmental surroundings, information that is not obtainable through simple visual observation.

Scientific research from Japan has been highly commended by the International Whaling Commission’s Scientific Committee.

Jiro Okuyama
Dir., Japan Information Center
Consulate General of Japan
New York, April 4, 2007

No comments: