Does the world need to regulate whaling

[freediver]

The ancient Romans practiced infanticide as well.

True, until the Church put an end to it. Traditions like infanticide allowed the aborigines to live sustainably off this fragile land for 60000 years without any of the modern crops, livestock or technology that our society depends on.

[freediver]

If the whales are needed for food - fine, but the Japanese don't need them.

They don't need tofu either. Is that a good excuse for banning it?

If the whalemeat was so essential to the wellbeing of the Japanese - their government wouldn't have given up so quickly and perhaps the Sea Shepherd wouldn't have persisted for such a prolonged period.

So now you are arguing that the anti whaling cause must be right because Sea Shepherd act rationally?

There are too many people and not enough animals.

There are enough Minke whales, but the facts don't seem to matter with the anti whaling mob.

Hadn't considered worms and your description both fascinates and disgusts me.

Large jews often have inch long white sperm shaped worms in the flesh that feel a bit like sand when you first bite into the head, but then they kind of disappear.

[Swami Dring]

The ancient Romans practiced infanticide as well.

True, until the Church put an end to it.....

They did? Let's check the 'good' book:

"If a man have a stubborn and rebellious son ... Then shall his father and his mother ... bring him out unto the elders of his city ... And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, that he die."
-- Deuteronomy 21:18-21 (AV)

[Outlaw Yogi]

We have all but destroyed the traditional aboriginal way of life.

Sadly we set out to kill them all or breed them out of existence.

True, but then that's something homo sapiens have done for eons to each other, and other now extinct types of humans, like Neaderthals ect.

The traditional way of life for Aborigines included infanticide.

True. Indigenous Australians killed wock eyed babies believing they grow up to be evil, which is the same rationale Hebrews/Jews used to justify killing mischievous children.
Interestingly, Pemelwary who united several Koori tribes and ran a guerilla war against the colonialist Brits for 20 years was wock eyed.

The ancient Romans practiced infanticide as well.

Yet their pretext for annihilation of Carthage was because Carthaginians practiced blood sacrifice of infants.

[Outlaw Yogi]

Most people won't touch wormy meat or even feed it to their dogs, which is fair enough when raw.

Why do so many people eat their meat so raw? Even regulated meat would have to contain some existing parasites and those who love rarely cooked meat would be full of them.

Beats me. I like mine cooked like it was nailed to a gum tree in a bush fire.
A Japanese woman (Kaiko) I travelled around with a bit years ago, told me Japanese people have lots of stomach complaints. I have seen it suggested the Japanese having the highest rate of stomach cancer on Earth is linked to them being the highest consumers of a soy bean product called 'miso'. Which is feasible but I suspect consumption of raw fish ect would have a greater bearing on such complaints. Heaps of fish are full of parasites.

I think we should be using boar meat for something useful here - and if it's cooked it would be fine for domestic dogs. At present hunters just leave the carcasses to rot in the bush obviously feeding a multitude of larvae. What a waste.

Pigs hunted around Narabri NSW are sold for dog food.
As for leaving carcasses of feral animals to rot, well it is wasteful, but ferals do alot of ecological damage, so IMO better off dead, even if it does just feed the flies.
Its not uncommon to come across Wedgies feeding on carcasses in the bush, so its not all bad.

[freediver]

The risk of parasitic infection depends on how closely related or how similar the biology of the animal is. That is why pig is so dangerous and must be thoroughly cooked (and why so many religions ban it), whereas fish can be safely eaten raw, if it is fresh.

[Outlaw Yogi]

The risk of parasitic infection depends on how closely related or how similar the biology of the animal is. That is why pig is so dangerous and must be thoroughly cooked (and why so many religions ban it), whereas fish can be safely eaten raw, if it is fresh.

According to Qld Dept of Primary Industries and Fisheries, it is unsafe to eat Ciguatera infected fish raw or cooked, as cooking does not kill the toxins produced by the parasite, and Ciguatera infected fish are quite common.

On the topic of eating raw fish per se, and the plethora of fish parasites in existence, the wiki reckons ...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fish_disea ... g_raw_fish

Though not a health concern in thoroughly cooked fish, parasites are a concern when human consumers eat raw or lightly preserved fish such as sashimi, sushi, ceviche, and gravlax. The popularity of such raw fish dishes makes it important for consumers to be aware of this risk. Raw fish should be frozen to an internal temperature of −20°C (−4°F) for at least 7 days to kill parasites. It is important to be aware that home freezers may not be cold enough to kill parasites.[42][43]

Fish diseases and parasites
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fish_disea ... _parasites

[HIGHERBEAM]

Japanese people have lots of stomach complaints. I have seen it suggested the Japanese having the highest rate of stomach cancer on Earth is linked to them being the highest consumers of a soy bean product called 'miso'. Which is feasible but I suspect consumption of raw fish ect would have a greater bearing on such complaints. Heaps of fish are full of parasites.

Eating certain types of fish is dangerous because of the high levels of mercury in the flesh,thus causing sickness and cancer

A Gift From the Sea

Whaling and whales are central to Makah culture. The conduct of a whale hunt requires rituals and ceremonies which are deeply spiritual. They are the subject and inspiration of Makah songs, dances, designs, and basketry. For the Makah Tribe, whale hunting imposes a purpose and a discipline which benefits their entire community. It is so important to the Makah, that in 1855 when the Makah ceded thousands of acres of land to the government of the United States, they explicitly reserved their right to whale within the Treaty of Neah Bay.

Whales gave oil, meat, bone, sinew and gut for storage containers: useful products, though gained at a high cost in time and goods. To get ready for the hunt, whalers went off by themselves to pray, fast and bathe ceremonially. Each man had his own place, followed his own ritual, and sought his own power. Weeks or months went into this special preparation beginning in winter and whalers devoted their whole lives to spiritual readiness.

Men waited for favorable weather and ocean conditions and then paddled out, eight in a canoe. They timed their departure so that they would arrive on the whaling grounds at daybreak.

Paddling silently, whalers studied the breathing pattern of their quarry. They knew from experience what to expect. As the whale finished spouting and returned underwater, the leader of the hunt directed the crew to where it would next surface. There the men waited.

When the whale rose, the paddlers held the canoe just to its left, their speed matched to the animal's. As the back broke the surface, the harpooner struck and the crew instantly paddled backward, putting all possible distance between the canoe and the wounded prey so as to avoid the thrashing tail flukes. A hit in the shoulder blade interfered with use of the flippers and slowed the whale. Floats of sealskin blown up like huge balloons and attached to the harpoon line slowed the whale. Harpoons weren't intended to kill the whale, but to secure the sealskin floats to them until they tired themselves and could be lanced fatally. Shafts of yew wood measured 12 to 18 feet long - heavy wood to add to the harpooner's thrust and help the blade pierce deeply. Splices in the shaft deadened the springiness and furthered the penetration. They also let the shaft break rather than hit the canoe repeatedly if the whale rolled. Furthermore, they allowed a clean break rather than a splintering. This aided repair.

Shafts fell away once the harpoon head had been set. In a whale, the head turned partly sideways. Barbs of elk antler helped to keep it from pulling out. They fit one on each side of the blade, which was mussel shell. Spruce pitch - at Ozette still pungent after 500 years within the earth - fared and smoothed the head. Whale sinew plied into rope and bound with wild cherry bark attached the harpoon head to as much as 40 fathoms of additional rope. This line, which was of twisted cedar boughs, was carried coiled within the baskets so that it would play out easily and wouldn't entangle the canoe's occupants.

A telltale float at the end of the line acted as a marker so that the whalers could follow their prey, setting additional harpoons and staying out over night if need be. Eventually the time came for the final kill which was done using a special lance.

The next step was to tow the whale home - a distance of only a few miles if its spirit had heeded prayers to swim for the beach, perhaps 10 miles or more if not. As a precaution against the whale's sinking, a diver generally laced the mouth shut. This kept water from flooding into the stomach, weighing the carcass down and complicating the tow.

Songs eased the paddling. Songs welcomed the whale to the village; welcomed the returning hunters and praised the power that made it all possible.

The relationship between Makah and whales is very old. Ozette deposits dating from 2,000 years ago hold humpback and gray whale bones and barbs from harpoons. The relationship is also very recent. The Makah Tribe resumed whale hunting under international and domestic law, and on May 17, 1999, harvested their first whale in 70 years.

United States of America are hypocritical to say to Japan to stop whaling yet allow their own people to hunt whale as they are traditional rights to hunt whale,so the traditions of Japan should be allowed to follow the lead of America and hunt whale the traditional way.

[mantra]

If the whales are needed for food - fine, but the Japanese don't need them.

They don't need tofu either. Is that a good excuse for banning it?

How many animals suffer a slow and agonising death to make tofu?

If the whalemeat was so essential to the wellbeing of the Japanese - their government wouldn't have given up so quickly and perhaps the Sea Shepherd wouldn't have persisted for such a prolonged period.

So now you are arguing that the anti whaling cause must be right because Sea Shepherd act rationally?

The anti whaling mob believe the Sea Shepherd acted rationally and courageously especially as their activities are the excuse used by the Japanese government for their withdrawal of support for whaling. Those who were against the actions of the Sea Shepherd would be a minority.

There are too many people and not enough animals.

There are enough Minke whales, but the facts don't seem to matter with the anti whaling mob.

Minke whales are still classified as endangered. Half the global population is overfed - the other half underfed, yet it is the gluttons who slaughter animals for sport - not food.

Though not a health concern in thoroughly cooked fish, parasites are a concern when human consumers eat raw or lightly preserved fish such as sashimi, sushi, ceviche, and gravlax. The popularity of such raw fish dishes makes it important for consumers to be aware of this risk. Raw fish should be frozen to an internal temperature of −20°C (−4°F) for at least 7 days to kill parasites. It is important to be aware that home freezers may not be cold enough to kill parasites.[42][43]

That explains the health benefits of eating raw fish. Alongside the nutrition and taste of uncooked fish - we can enjoy a stomach full of parasites.

[mantra]

United States of America are hypocritical to say to Japan to stop whaling yet allow their own people to hunt whale as they are traditional rights to hunt whale,so the traditions of Japan should be allowed to follow the lead of America and hunt whale the traditional way.

I didn't even know that the US still hunted whales.