Revenge of The Whale Hunters (Time)

Full story: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1207813,00.html

Revenge of The Whale Hunters
Japan says the giant mammals have recovered in the 20 years since whaling was banned. Tell that to the whales
By MICHAEL D. LEMONICK
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Posted Monday, Jun 26, 2006
By the time most people realized that whales were not oversize fish but warm-blooded mammals with large brains, sophisticated social structures and an elaborate language of squeals, clicks and low moans, it was nearly too late. The orgy of unrestrained whale hunting, which began in the 1600s and became industrialized in the 19th century, had already sent many species into serious decline. Environmental groups, fearing that the whales would become extinct, lobbied hard to bring the hunting and killing to a halt. In 1986 they came very close: the International Whaling Commission (IWC) voted to prohibit whaling, allowing it only for scientific purposes or, in a handful of cases, such as among native peoples in Alaska and Greenland, to preserve ancient food-gathering practices.


A whale breaches off the coast of Maui.


But the treaty has proved all too easy to get around. Japan, Iceland and Norway, in particular, have slaughtered tens of thousands of whales in the past 20 years. The first two countries claim they are doing it for science, although much of the meat they take ends up on dinner tables. Norway doesn't even bother pretending. It openly flouts the IWC's rules.

it's that there's no enforcement. It's like saying that a dui is easy to get around when there are no cops nor courts to face.

Well, there's SOME enforcement. However, Sea Shepherd can't be everywhere.

This is a frustrating topic, I know.