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Japan has recently expanded its dolphin program (Photo: AP) |
A British conservation group has reported that whale meat in Japan is so plentiful that it is being used as dog food. Thousands of tons of dolphin meat have piled up as more whales are killed each year, according to the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (WDCS).
The Japanese government has attempted to sell whale meat to schools, but the price of this meat is steadily declining.
One company is selling whale meat online as a “nutritious, safe, and natural” dog food. The website hakudai.com states, “a whale meat boom is quietly starting.”
“The number of pet owners concerned about their pets’ health is increasing, and they are recognizing the nutritional value of whale meat.”
“And now both the demand and sales are on the rise.”
Nutritious and Delicious
This website describes whale meat as “natural” and caught “fresh from local waters.”
Mark Simmonds, the director of science at WDCS, stated: “Whaling is a cruel act, and the fact that Japan is killing this magnificent creature to produce dog food is shocking to us.”
“We have heard many arguments from Japan about why whaling is necessary for them, but they have never said that they kill whales to feed dogs.”
A global moratorium on whaling was established in the 1980s, but according to the International Whaling Commission, whaling for scientific research is still permitted.
This has been condemned by most conservation groups as inhumane, unnecessary, and potentially harmful to the population of this species.
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Dolphin burgers are on restaurant menus (Photo: AP) |
Japan and Iceland have initiated whale research programs, while Norway has officially opposed the moratorium on whaling and continues to openly engage in commercial whaling activities.
Expanding the Scope
The number of whales killed in Japan has made the country a target for conservation activists.
This current hunting season, Japan has implemented the JARPA-2 program, doubling the number of whales it catches each year from the Arctic Ocean.
Last year, the country launched a program to distribute whale meat to schools, and some fast-food chains began selling dolphin burgers.
However, recent news about dolphin meat being used as dog food suggests that human demand for dolphin meat in Japan may not have kept pace with the recent increase in supply.
WDCS cites several studies showing that the price of whale meat has halved over the past five years.
