A Lucky Break for Mister Splashy Pants

[Tuckerfan]

Japan agrees not to hunt humpback whales.

Japan’s whaling fleet in the Antarctic will avoid killing humpback whales for now, but will press on with plans to slay 1,000 other whales by early in the New Year, a government official said on Friday.

The move follows Australia’s announcement on Wednesday that it would send a fisheries patrol ship to gather evidence for a possible International Court challenge to halt Japan’s yearly slaughter.

Plans by Japan to include 50 endangered humpbacks in its annual hunt had sparked an outcry from activists.

W00t!

[Boyo_Jim]

“No hunt, but if they drift against our harpoons, what are we to do?”

[Wheeljack]

I want so much to be the first person to make a Whale Probe joke, but I just can’t think of one.

[Least_Original_User_Name_Ever]

Way to be, Mr. Splashy Pants! I wonder if it’ll actually be followed, though.

[Tuckerfan]

[QUOTE=Boyo Jim]
“No hunt, but if they drift against our harpoons, what are we to do?”
[/QUOTE]

Well, Iceland’s stopped hunting whales.

Iceland’s fisheries minister said the country will issue no new quotas for commercial whaling after the final batch expired last week.

Einar K Guofinnsson said there was no demand for whale meat and therefore no need to issue fresh quotas.

"There is no reason to continue commercial whaling if there is no demand for the product, " he said.

“The whaling industry, like any other industry, has to obey the market. If there is no profitability, there is no foundation for resuming with the killing of whales.”

[Sailboat]

“The whaling industry, like any other industry, has to obey the market.”

This is a novel position for Iceland’s government-subsidized whaling industry to take. Refreshing!

Sailboat

[Mindfield]

It probably won’t be followed – not strictly, anyway. The moratorium on humpbacks will just make them more desirable – and more valuable, two conditions the Asian market never ignores. A few convenient excuses can handily take care of that. “We didn’t know it was a humpback until it was already speared.” “What, that ship? That isn’t ours.” “It was dead when we got there. We couldn’t let it go to waste could we?”

[Least_Original_User_Name_Ever]

[QUOTE=Mindfield]
It probably won’t be followed – not strictly, anyway. The moratorium on humpbacks will just make them more desirable – and more valuable, two conditions the Asian market never ignores. A few convenient excuses can handily take care of that. “We didn’t know it was a humpback until it was already speared.” “What, that ship? That isn’t ours.” “It was dead when we got there. We couldn’t let it go to waste could we?”
[/QUOTE]

He’s not dead. He’s resting. He’s stunned. He’s tired and shagged out after a prolonged “eeeeeeeeek!”

[Slypork]

Einar K Guofinnsson said there was no demand for whale meat and therefore no need to issue fresh quotas.

"There is no reason to continue commercial whaling if there is no demand for the product, " he said.

“The whaling industry, like any other industry, has to obey the market. If there is no profitability, there is no foundation for resuming with the killing of whales.”

Damn. There go my plans for starting a Mr. Splashypants Whaleburger franchise. “Mr. Splashypants’. Where every day is hump day.”

[Kythereia]

You should team up with Mr. Krabs’s Krabbie Patties, it’d be great.

(I seem to recall there being a kerfluffle earlier over Hayden Panettiere having an arrest warrant out for her in Japan for protesting the whale hunt. Save the cheerleader, save the whales?)

[Least_Original_User_Name_Ever]

[QUOTE=Kythereia]
You should team up with Mr. Krabs’s Krabbie Patties, it’d be great.

(I seem to recall there being a kerfluffle earlier over Hayden Panettiere having an arrest warrant out for her in Japan for protesting the whale hunt. Save the cheerleader, save the whales?)
[/QUOTE]

Mmmm. She hot.

[Cluricaun]

[QUOTE=Least Original User Name Ever]
Mmmm. She hot.
[/QUOTE]

She makes you a Mr. Splashypants then too?

[Slypork]

[QUOTE=Cluricaun]
She makes you a Mr. Splashypants then too?
[/QUOTE]

I’ve got a harpoon I’d like to show her. “Thar she blows!”