# Anyone watching Whale Wars on Discovery. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 23, 2008, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-watching-whale-wars-on-discovery/474067 "2008-11-23T03:31:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![diggleblop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ac91a4/32.png) [@diggleblop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/diggleblop)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2008, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-watching-whale-wars-on-discovery/474067/21 "2008-11-24T17:17:57Z")
> [@Hostile\_Dialect](#): > > Hmmmmmmmmm… nope. Sorry. Can’t find any sympathy for the poachers. Let 'em drown. That’s the thing, what they are doing is legal. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2008, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-watching-whale-wars-on-discovery/474067/22 "2008-11-24T17:26:23Z")
> [@diggleblop](#): > > That’s the thing, what they are doing is legal. I hope I made myself clear that I am against whaling, and also against Sea Shepherd’s methods. But IMO [this is a picture](http://www.allfunnypictures.com/images2/contortionist.jpg) of the Japanese interpretation of the whaling laws. Ethnicity depicted in the photo is coincidental. ---
**Author:** ![WolfpackJeep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpackjeep/32/2921_2.png) [@WolfpackJeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WolfpackJeep)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2008, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-watching-whale-wars-on-discovery/474067/23 "2008-11-24T17:34:09Z")
They have a noble cause…but they’re nothing more than eco-terrorists. Their tactics remind me of that group that burns McMansion developments and Hummer dealerships. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2008, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-watching-whale-wars-on-discovery/474067/24 "2008-11-24T18:35:17Z")
> [@diggleblop](#): > > That’s the thing, what they are doing is legal. Nope. While it is true that some whale hunting “for research” is technically legal, the Japanese whalers do not hunt whales for research, just food. Next, they are well known for killing about 2-3X what they are allowed to. They also kill species that are not allowed. Note about half the “whale meat” sold in Japan is dolphin. ---
**Author:** ![Acid\_Lamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Acid\_Lamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acid_Lamp)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2008, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-watching-whale-wars-on-discovery/474067/25 "2008-11-24T18:43:37Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Nope. While it is true that some whale hunting “for research” is technically legal, the Japanese whalers do not hunt whales for research, just food. Next, they are well known for killing about 2-3X what they are allowed to. > They also kill species that are not allowed. > > Note about half the “whale meat” sold in Japan is dolphin. There is no “Not allowed” there is only the rules that they agree to play by. They can pull out of the agreement any time they like. While I’ll not defend Japan’s actions, they certainly can do as they please. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2008, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-watching-whale-wars-on-discovery/474067/26 "2008-11-24T18:55:59Z")
> [@Acid\_Lamp](#): > > There is no “Not allowed” there is only the rules that they agree to play by. They can pull out of the agreement any time they like. While I’ll not defend Japan’s actions, they certainly can do as they please. They entered into certain agreements, and they are violating the spirit and the limits of that agreement. (They are lying about the number and species they are taking, and there’s little or no “research”) Although Japan could withdraw, they’d face international sacntions for doing so. Just like any nation could withdraw from any Treaty or international law- but they’d have to face the sanctions. ---
**Author:** ![Acid\_Lamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Acid\_Lamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acid_Lamp)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2008, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-watching-whale-wars-on-discovery/474067/27 "2008-11-24T21:48:51Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > They entered into certain agreements, and they are violating the spirit and the limits of that agreement. (They are lying about the number and species they are taking, and there’s little or no “research”) > > Although Japan could withdraw, they’d face international sacntions for doing so. Just like any nation could withdraw from any Treaty or international law- but they’d have to face the sanctions. Exactly, and that should be how this issue ought to be handled. The activists are no better than pirates, and it wouldn’t bother me to see them scuttled and abandoned to the zodiac. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2008, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-watching-whale-wars-on-discovery/474067/28 "2008-11-24T22:33:49Z")
> [@Acid\_Lamp](#): > > Exactly, and that should be how this issue ought to be handled. The activists are no better than pirates, and it wouldn’t bother me to see them scuttled and abandoned to the zodiac. I admire and condone protests or other activist activity, but I agree that violence is not the proper response. ---
**Author:** ![Hostile\_Dialect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e495f1/32.png) [@Hostile\_Dialect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hostile_Dialect)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2008, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-watching-whale-wars-on-discovery/474067/29 "2008-11-24T23:53:55Z")
> [@diggleblop](#): > > That’s the thing, what they are doing is legal. I’m not clear on whether it’s legal or simply officially tolerated. Anyway, smashing CRTs to bits may be legal in East Timor, and I’m pretty sure it’s officially tolerated in China, but that wouldn’t make it right. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2008, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-watching-whale-wars-on-discovery/474067/30 "2008-11-25T00:32:50Z")
I agree with someone up thread that they should be putting themselves between the harpoon and whales, rather than endangering the ship and lives of people, whatever kind of bastards the whalers are. ---
**Author:** ![Terrifel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c68b51/32.png) [@Terrifel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terrifel)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2008, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-watching-whale-wars-on-discovery/474067/31 "2008-11-25T00:35:15Z")
Frankly, if whale poaching is such a volatile industry that it can be effectively threatened by hippies in an inflatable raft, the whale poachers would probably be better off getting out early and finding work in a safer and more respectable line of work like drug smuggling. Very few drug smugglers ever find their livelihood endangered by rafts of hippies. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-watching-whale-wars-on-discovery/474067.md?page=1)