“Given the lack of any evidence that Japan is bringing its whaling activities into conformance with the recommendations of the IWC, I am directing the Secretary of State under the Packwood-Magnuson Amendment to withhold 100 percent of the fishing privileges that would otherwise be available to Japan in the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone. Japan has requested the opportunity to fish for 3,000 metric tons of sea snails and 5,000 metric tons of Pacific whiting. These requests will be denied. In addition, Japan will be barred from any future allocations of fishing privileges for any other species, including Pacific cod, until the Secretary of Commerce determines that the situation has been corrected. [50]
U.S. President Ronald Reagan, 1988”
The Japanese are commercial whaling. Reagan knew it. Greenpeace knows it. The Sea Shephard folks know it. The Japanese have never stopped whaling. You can Google Japanese whaling or the pictures of the meat on sale in the Japanese markets.
You can argue all you want about whether the greenies are pirates or terrorists or whatever. You can argue that who does what to whom is right or wrong. But for all involved here, cut the crap. The Japanese are hunting whales for commercial purposes. You are lying to yourselves and others if you argue otherwise.
This isn’t a defense of the greens. For all I know the populations are recovered enough to allow hunting. This isn’t a defense of what the greens are doing on the high seas either.
“But facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passions, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence.”
John Adams
Thank you, you can continue.
“Given the lack of any evidence that Japan is bringing its whaling activities into conformance with the recommendations of the IWC, I am directing the Secretary of State under the Packwood-Magnuson Amendment to withhold 100 percent of the fishing privileges that would otherwise be available to Japan in the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone. [50]Yeah The US and Japanese governments has already agreed that the US would not use Packwood-Magnuson and Japan would cease whaling in 1988.U.S. President Ronald Reagan, 1988”
But due to pressure from US fishing interestsm the japanese quota was cut from 900,000 tons in 1985 450,000 in 1986, to 100,000 in 1987, then zero in 1988.
Guess what, The Japs now consider themselves no longer bound by the 1984 agreement.