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First catch for Japanese coastal town
last update: Jun 22, 2009 09:48 AM
From a "Taiwan News" article: In a demonstration to promote their fading whaling tradition, Japanese whalers in a small fishing town near Tokyo celebrated by cutting up their first catch of the season.
The hunt at Wada Port underscores Japan's argument that the centuries-old whaling tradition is still part of its culture and that international bans on commercial whaling violates its cultural traditions.
The demonstration was a highly stylized ritual, whalers sprinkled rice wine over the first whale to pray for the safe hunting season. Afterwards, they peeled off the whale's thick, black skin with a special saw, chopped its head off to drain blood into a gutter, then cut the hefty animal into thousands of brick-size chunks of meat for the morning market.
The hunt of the Baird's beaked whale in the Japanese waters is not restricted by the IWC and is managed by Japan's Fisheries Agency.
Hitoshi Watanabe, 50, an office worker who came to watch the Wada whale ceremony said "Whale meat has been part of our traditional diet, and it was a great cultural experience. It was also good learn that we live at the sacrifice of precious lives of other animals."
Article:
Taiwan News, 21st June 2009
