whaling: science is commerce

The Japanese Antarctic whaling mission takes another blow. The Japanese claim they only kill whales for 'scientific' research. Any report that goes into this explains that in order to tell how old a whale is, you've got to kill it and cut into its head.

So, to find out about their ages and breeding cycles, they're killing quite a few adult whales. This is all scientific and not to do with doing commercial whaling by the back door, honest guv.

Which means there's no need to be killing juvenile whales. So the pictures the Australian government released showing a mother and calf shouldn't exist.




However, there's a point that never seems to get mentioned. If there is some sort of legitimate important scientific whaling to be done, why would it be just the Japanese doing it?

It's because the science is all about ascertaining populations so they can assess the viability of commercial whaling. No other reason.

So anyone who opposes commercial whaling has to oppose the scientific whaling too, as they are two parts of the same whole. So the media should drop the use of the word 'scientific' as a justification.

The other thing that isn't picked up on enough is here

Australian environment minister Peter Garrett said he hoped the "distressing" images would boost international opposition to the whale hunt

That's Peter Garrett, the baldy singer out of Midnight Oil!



They're best remembered in the UK for the anthemic 80s single Beds Are Burning which, typically, addressed Aboriginal rights

The time has come
To say fair's fair
To pay the rent
To pay our share

The time has come
A fact's a fact
It belongs to them
Let's give it back

I don't know enough about Australian politics to know if this means the new government is comparitively cool or if Garrett's been co-opted by the forces of darkness.

But still, it's mad enough whatever, it's like finding out Morrissey or Theo and Shannon have been given Cabinet posts.