Japan under attack for inhumane humpback deaths

Japan under attack for inhumane humpback deaths
Andrew Darby, St Kitts and Nevis
June 19, 2006

AUSTRALIAN humpbacks face lingering deaths in the Japanese scientific hunt, where they will be harpooned with equipment little different from that used on much smaller minke whales.

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The little evidence publicly available about Japan's minke hunt shows fewer than half the whales die instantly, and some can take more than half an hour.

Japan has already added to its scientific whaling quota 10 fin whales, an endangered species and the world's second-largest animal after the blue whale.

From the summer of 2007-08 it plans to take 50 fins as well as 50 humpbacks from stocks that swim along the Australian and New Zealand coasts in winter.

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"It's obvious the Japanese are hiding this because their killing methods are appalling," said the Australian director for the International Fund for Animal Welfare, Mick McIntyre.

(more)

http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2006/06/18/1150569212624.html