Japanese officials have publicly condemned the eating of dolphin meat especially in school lunches due to mercury contamination:
“We tested some samples purchased at the Gyokyo supermarket in Taiji and Super Center Okuwa in the nearby city of Shingu ...
One dolphin sample had a mercury content 10 times above the health ministry's advisory level of 0.4 parts per million, with a methylmercury readout 10.33 times over the ministry's own advisory level of 0.3 ppm.
Another dolphin sample tested 15.97 times and 12 times above advisory levels of total mercury and methylmercury, respectively.
The results prompted the two officials to describe dolphin meat as 'toxic waste'.
Despite health concerns Taiji’s Mayor promises to build a new dolphin processing factory...
You can read more in the Japan Times
Earlier this year Norwegian media reported there was a growing problem with bioaccumulation of toxins in minke whales and that some parts of the whales contained higher concentrations of toxins that were recommended by health authorities.
When Keiko (Free Willy) died in Norway, children wanted to bury him on the beach. However, this was not suitable according to the health authorities due to danger from contaminants. Keiko was also consider 'toxic waste'.
Cheers,
Ann Novek
Sweden
" I collect walrus teeth myself either from hunts I have participated in (not too often as I don't enjoy the taste of walrus)" - IceClass
So IceClass is involved in illegal hunting. Methinks the walrus hunt is only open for the Inuits????
"We have no idea who this IceClass dude..."
Hi Ann,
Interesting? Hmmm...Well I have visions of a western poorly-educated geek dressed up in seal skins. He was picked on at school and used to stick fire crackers up cat's backsides, severely misogynistic, perhaps denying his homosexuality and having aggressive and cruel tendencies because of it. The attitude that world wide wildlife is there simply for human utilization is outdated, and suits his Neanderthal thinking perfectly.
Don't know about you Ann but I have to wash the dishes, scrub the floor and get myself down to the local fish monger to pick up some Patagonian toothfish. I really hope they put a pick through its head to kill it.
" So you hassled some dolphins, "- IceClass
Meanwhile some ecotourism could really be under all criticism, I wonder what criteria you yourself use IceClass?
Are you not one person that encourages polar bear trophy hunting by rich Americans? Now that's what I really call hassle of wildlife....
Libby,
We have no idea who this IceClass dude is, maybe he just want to make himself interesting pointing out that he eats walross and musk oxen meat???
That beats the whale eaters by miles!!! Maybe he's just a Mc Donald guy??
"(This is amply demonstrated IMHO by Libby's comments to David@tokyo on how she would bypass accountable government agencies and appeal to a western pop-star)"
Having already gone through the "accountable government agencies", I am hardly "bypassing" them. This is how I know it is a waste of time.
"Hence, the housewives and friends can get their knickers in a knot over sustainable Canadian sealing but blithely walk past rows of critically endangered species of fish lining the marble slabs of every high street. It's cultural hypocrisy."
Your housewives in western countries are a lot more educated now on endangered fish stocks, etc and can make better-informed choices. Your failure to recognise this is an artifact of your own prejudices.
"More of the usual slippery slope rubbish.The only similarity is that both are made of ivory.
There is no major market for whale teeth beyond an informal barter and trade system.
Teeth are small and don't allow for larger carvings as do elephant tusks."
Your comment shows your ignorance. Sperm whale teeth are still valued and good scrimshaw is highly prized. The size does not matter, in fact a lot of carvings (even from your adopted home) are tiny. Check the internet. The difference between shooting dead an elephant and hacking out its tusks and digging out a sperm whale's teeth is that it is easier with an elephant. How often do sperm whales strand, how are you going to shoot one dead in its natural habitat unless you are working on JARPN II? When one does wash ashore it is a race against time to prevent the teeth from being taken, including from still-living animals.
"In my current part of our world, animal parts are a major part of the traditional and localised economy. There is no market for whale teeth or even walrus teeth for that matter."
And can these ivory trinkets be taken to Australia or the UK by tourists visiting your adopted part of the world? No. How much would they be making from their trinkets if they could? How might that change things?
"This option would be off limits to him if folks like Libby had the ability to impose her narrow values on my community."
You can readily purchase fossil walrus and mammoth ivory in Australia, NZ, Tonga and in other parts of the world which originate from your adopted country. So the people there are able to make money from wealthy westerners this way. The pieces are not cheap, so presumably good money is made. If you think your views are somehow broader IceClass, perhaps you should really get out more.
"there is no definition of "humane"
Well we know there isn't in your books, but there is a big wide world out there (see above).
"Great except that we're talking about recuperating whale teeth from a washed up carcass.
These are not archaeological specimens.
Need some more straws to clutch at?"
I actually work in a museum IceClass, so unlike you I don't need straws to clutch at. From my small museum biological specimens have been stolen. This was no done by some kids, but by poeple in the know who are aware of the value and the buyers. I have assisted in investigations dealing with this and a recent large horrendous theft of priceless specimens from a world-class city museum. A sperm whale jaw that I recently acquired for my museum, teeth included, was targetted by a number of people. As Ann has tried to point out to you, it is an international illegal trade, rcognised by all, it seems, but you.
"So you hassled some dolphins, had a little wildlife moment and now you want to take an entire food species away from people??!!
Don't stand next to any cows when you're feeling a little emotional."
You assume (again) the dolphins were "hassled". Let's forget the part about the reproductive biology of domesticated terrestrial animals, stock management, etc. Simplistic to say the least. Wildlife can exist for people to enjoy visually, not simply as a culinary experience for expats. I have not ignored the welfare issues here Ann, but we have addressed them before.
"So, what's your point?"
Some Japanese save stranded whales. Some Australians rescue kangaroos. Some New Zealanders shoot seals. So what is yours?
" So, what's your point?" - IceClass
I also pointed out there could be empathy among hunters etc re wildlife, Rune has as well provided a link about pilot whale rescue.
However, methinks that you in the sealing thread spoke about seals in a very unsensitive and cruel way and this is also visible when you're reluctant to adress the TTD issue as something important( you think it's only something the evil animal protest industry is interested in).
"Ann,
You have repeatedly latched onto my comment about "housewives" for cheap points but I seem to remember back in the late 90s when there was a scandal around the millions paid out to Brian Davies (Founder of the IFAW and arguably the creator of the modern big dollar animal protest industry)for use of his image (The colonel Saunders of animal porn agit-prop?)that your friend and beneficiary of the big dollars raised Sydney Holt exclaimed dismay as it would tarnish the image of an organisation that raised it's funding from "school kids and little old ladies".
Am I recalling this correctly?" - IceClass
Might be perfectly right and I despise such people and look at them as lowlife that are ego centred and ruining the reputation of honest people and NGOs.
As a matter of fact I have encountered a similar case.
I worked once for a little well functioning NGO that employed a CEO who embezzled all the money which was donated by good hearthed people. So I do am very suspious re fundraising etc.
Amnesty Sweden's CEO was put into prison as well for embezzlement of money....
" I can just imagine the 80's era style EIA "documentaries" complete with chilling music and allusions to teeth being chainsawed out of their victimes etc)" - IceClass
Well, the link I provided on sperm whales teeth and carcasses mentioned that the sperm whale they featured had its teeth chainsawed out.( Norway)
It was not long ago when some museum employees were involved in an international scandal involving illegal trade with whales teeth.
Trade in wildlife body parts is huge and should be looked after in a stern way.
Where I live, people , especially from Germany, collect rare eagle and falcon eggs. This is a HUGE business that endangers the bird populations and survival.
" All thinking people of an environmental bent should see this as a primary obstacle to be done away with and ensure that the influence of the big money western animal protest industry is kept well clear of environmental policy development."- Iceman
Well, the rich Western NGOs certainly need to be investigated and kept after in a similar way that journos look after politicians.
I have sometimes been " merciless " against Greenpeace here , but in the whole I support NGOs and the " animal protest industry" as they are the ones that point out to the public where problems can be found. Even at whale eater as George mentioned once that in some cases he might support " the evil NGOs". Methinks he was thinking about the cetacean entanglement issue.
I have a good example where the cooperation between NGOs and " local" " not NGO" people work jointly very well.
In Scandinavia there is this big fish retailer Findus. Greenpeace together with some investigating journos ( with risking their lives) investigated pirate fishing in the Barents Sea together with the support of Norwegian authorities and the Norwegian Coast Guard.
This policy has been working very well. So now your despised middle class, urban house wives are boycotting the fish retailers that sell " black market / pirate fish" from notorious companies and transferring ships. This helps coastal Norwegian fishermen( far from being NGO types , involving and supporting whaling and sealing).
A rewarding cooperation in this case that firstly enlighten " dumb" Western middle class housewives and secondly helps financially straight fishermen and finally help the nothern Atlantic cod population.