This will be the last Japanese Whaling Campaign, Paul Watson Predicts 

The Japanese whaling fleet may be sinking, but it's not because of leaks in the ships that they own. Rather, it's the indirect effect of global recession and the challenges of whaling in the midst of controversy. The whaling fleet may go under this year, and if they do the sinking of this fleet will be due to money.

The Japanese whaling has long been subsidized by Japanese government money in an effort to bolster this industry that is officially done for "research" purposes. Last season, the Japanese whaling campaign needed an infusion of cash, more than a million dollars from the government just to break even. In the last decade, subsidies have run into the hundreds of millions, about $164 million dollars since 1998.

Japan's Rationale for Its Whaling Campaign

Japan argues that its whaling is all about research and that the sale of whale meat from the catch is an incidental byproduct of its actions. However, whale meat is no longer overly popular in Japan, and 70 percent of the population actually opposes the Japanese whaling campaign. Now Japan can barely give away the stuff. Its backlog of whale meat is growing, and the desire of anyone to eat whale meat is shrinking rapidly, along with public interest in whaling.

Japan's actions have long confused the rest of the world. The country seems bent on making a statement through its whaling activities, a statement that results in little science, little economic activity, and a lot of debt. Some say that whaling is simply a poster child issue for other fishing concerns, like tuna. Japan's determination to continue whaling is a symbol for its determination to continue fishing for all sorts of other fish that are leaping onto the endangered list.

Yet that determination may be eroding. As the Japanese government turns around and looks for ways to cut costs, the whaling industry and its growing supply of unusable whale meat may be directly in the line of sight. The Japanese Overseas Fisheries Cooperation Fund supports the management of the whaling fleet, the Institute of Cetacean Research. As Japan endeavors to cut costs, the whaling industry may become the victim of budget management, much to the delight of anti-whaling organizations like the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society and Greenpeace.

The Role of Conservation Groups: Work to Stop the Japanese Whaling Campaign

How do conservation groups fit into the picture? For years, the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society has been chasing whaling ships around the freezing waters of the Antarctic Whale Sanctuary. This has cost the Japanese fleet a lot in gas and they endeavor to meet their quotas. As Paul Watson, head of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society say, "As long as we can keep the Japanese whaling fleet on the run, we will continue to cost them money and we will continue to save whales. We're not going to surrender, we're not going to retreat, and they're going to have to pull out." According to conservation groups, saving the whales is a matter of determination and of breaking the budgets of the whalers, perhaps to the extent that the Japanese government finally sits up, takes notice, and cuts the program.