In Japan, there are also two voices about whale meat consumption, namely "love" and "conservatism". In the past 20 years, some environmental NGOs in Japan have tried to stop the killing and eating of whales by exposing the cruel slaughter of whales in Japanese fishing villages, but the effect is not very obvious. However, when the research findings such as "harmful substances such as mercury are easy to accumulate in whales" were made public, the demand for whale meat such as dolphins and whales in the market was greatly hit. The standard of mercury content in whale meat by Japanese health workers is 0.4ppm (mg/g), but the mercury content in the samples of pilot whales was detected to exceed the standard by ten times. The Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare advises pregnant women and children to use whale meat with caution, and residents in Taiji Town are tested for mercury every year. There are all kinds of whale meat dishes in Japan. Even so, whale meat did not disappear from the table. The "favorite school" believes that dolphins caught from land and offshore may have the above problems, but whales caught from Antarctic waters are less polluted and accumulate much less harmful substances in their bodies than other animals. In addition, the biggest reason is probably that it can't resist the delicious and nutritional value of whale meat. Whale meat is moist, tender and plastic, and almost all cooking methods commonly used in Japan can be used to treat whale meat. In addition, whale meat is rich in protein, unsaturated fatty acids and red meat rich in iron, which is considered as a healthy food with high protein and low calorie. Many places in Japan hold whale food festivals to showcase whale meat dishes and various processed foods. Japanese whale meat processed products In addition to some old shops specializing in whale cooking in Japan, many restaurants often see dishes made of whale meat. Whale sashimi, whale sushi rolls, whale salad, whale curry and so on. Processed products from different parts of whales are also common. In addition, due to the low fat content of whale meat, it is also used as an important food for dietotherapy by hospital catering. In order to promote consumption, some schools also use whale meat in their meals. In Japan, catering and processing extended from whaling have formed a certain scale industrial chain. "Scientific whaling" or "commercial capture" In recent years, Japanese whaling has attracted great attention, mainly because anti-whaling unofficial organizations in the South Pacific have repeatedly clashed with Japanese whaling ships. On May 3, 20654381,the Australian government formally sued Japan in The Hague International Court of Justice in order to prevent Japan from whaling in Antarctic waters. On March 3rd, this year, the United Nations International Court of Justice in The Hague made a judgment on the Japanese whaling case, finding that Japan's annual whaling in Antarctic waters is not for the purpose of "scientific research" and demanding that Japan stop this activity. The focus of the whaling case is whether Japan's whaling in Antarctic waters belongs to the scientific research activities permitted by Article 8 of the International Convention for the Control of Whaling (1946). The Australian side believes that Japanese whaling is commercial whaling under the banner of science, which violates the provisions of the Convention. Japan argues that whaling is a "legitimate scientific research". Peter Thomka, Slovak Chief Justice of the International Court of Justice, said that Japan's scientific whaling project in Antarctic waters failed to prove that Japan needs to kill 850 minke whales, 50 fin whales and 50 humpback whales every year, although the actual number of whales killed is not that large. Moreover, Japan has not considered small-scale or non-fatal alternative projects. Although Japan accepted this ruling, it does not apply to whaling activities in other waters. On April 3, an official of the Japanese fishery department said that Japan had decided to cancel the "scientific whaling" in the Antarctic Ocean this fiscal year, but planned to continue this activity in other regions. Essence: The real analysis of fishing on the high seas in the name of "scientific research" holds that once whaling activities stop, it means that a large number of workers in the whole whaling industry chain may face unemployment, and related aquatic products companies may face the danger of bankruptcy, thus reducing Japan's fiscal revenue. At the same time, Japan has always used the so-called "scientific research" whaling as an excuse to actually cover up the truth of its fishing for fishery resources on the high seas. Deviating from Japan's cannibalism, Taiji-CHO is the most concentrated area for killing dolphins in Japan. From September to April every year, it will become a bloody slaughterhouse. The important reason for protecting whales is that whales are on the verge of extinction. It is reported that the number of blue whales in Antarctica is less than the original 1%, and there are only 100 gray whales in the western Pacific Ocean, which is on the verge of extinction. In Antarctic waters, nearly 1200 whales are killed every year. In addition to being killed, water pollution will poison whales, and the noise of ships will also have a serious impact on them, which will threaten the survival of whales. 20 12 In March, when the Japanese government submitted an application for "harmony food" to UNESCO, it emphasized that "harmony food" was not only Japanese cuisine itself, but also based on Japanese temperament of "respecting nature" and "customs and habits" related to "food". The wanton killing of whales, an animal closely related to human society, obviously runs counter to the so-called "respect for nature". On June 5438+1October 18 this year, caroline kennedy, the US ambassador to Japan, published an article in English and Japanese saying: "The US government opposes the fishing method of killing dolphins (whales)." She also expressed great concern about the "inhumanity" of this practice.