Infamous Japanese Whaling Ship Conducting Research in North Pacific
July 19, 2018

Source: Japanese Research Vessels Dock in Unalaska, Alaska - KUCB

Update: Japan has announced that they are pushing for significant changes to the International Whaling Commission in order to reintroduce commercial whaling for the first time since 1986. This would be a terrible step backwards and must be strongly opposed by IWC members who understand that commercial whaling must remain banned.

We have learned that a survey is underway in the Bering Sea to locate whales, including North Pacific right whales. However, our excitement was short-lived as we found out that it is being done on the Yushin Maru No. 2 - an infamous whaling ship that the Japanese use to conduct illegal whale hunts. The ship is owned by a company that still has not paid a fine of one million Australian dollars after they were found guilty of slaughtering whales in an Australian whale sanctuary. The research in the Bering Sea is being conducted in conjunction with the International Whaling Commission and the NOAA but it is still highly disturbing to us in that it's even being conducted on a ship that is used to kill whales. Japan falsely claims that their hunts are for 'research purposes' so any research they do, even outside of those hunts, is highly suspect. It's suspicious to us both in terms of the actual research being done, such as how valid their methods are in general but also when it comes to what their long-term goals might be with such research. The Institute of Cetacean Research in Japan actually stated in 2015 that, "The purpose of Japan's research is science — science that will ensure that when commercial whaling is resumed, it will be sustainable".

The Yushin Maru No. 2 was used to conduct an illegal hunt as recently as a few months ago where they brutally slaughtered 333 minke whales, 122 of whom were pregnant. We don't believe that this ship should be allowed in American waters and that the ship should have been impounded by the US government upon arrival. Allowing this ship into our waters is a slap in the face to the whales that they continue to illegally slaughter, to the vast majority of Americans that rightfully oppose whaling and to the nation of Australia. The US government is giving protection to a company that owes Australia that one million dollar fine for brazenly slaughtering whales in their whale sanctuary. This further emboldens Japan in their belligerent crusade to continue slaughtering whales and falsely legitimizes their whaling program. We are outraged at this betrayal of the whales and of our values as a nation and stand strongly against Japanese whaling ships getting anywhere near whales in American waters, especially the critically endangered North Pacific right whale. We will continue to monitor this 'research' trip and will update you with any findings that are released as well as more updates on their interest with these whales and the northern Pacific Ocean in general.

The Yushin Maru No. 2 docked in Unalaska, Alaska
Photo credit: Zoe Sobel/KUCB