Recently, the Japanese Government Fisheries Agency issued a response to the event when Hayden Panettiere was protesting with an animals rights group in Japan against whale hunting. Hayden has just recently sent her rebuttle in the form of an open letter to Japan.
The first letter is the original, afterwards is her response:
While respecting Ms. Panettierre’s personal feelings towards dolphins and her commitment to travel to Taiji to make her protest, I hope that your viewers will be reassured by the fact that Japan is carefully managing marine living resources for the future. The government’s fisheries policies are based on scientific information and take into account the opinions of the public.
Sincerely,
Takumi Fukuda
Fisheries Attache, Embassy of Japan
Washington, DC
Dear Mr. Fukuda,
Rest assured our viewers and the public at large is appalled by Japanese whaling and fisheries practices. Even within your own country, recent polls show that over 77% of the Japanese public is against whaling while only 11% support it.
To say that Japan is carefully managing marine living resources for the future is a joke. Recent scientific studies have shown that over 90% of the world’s large fish have been depleted by over-fishing and Japan’s own factory-fishing fleets are largely responsible for this, decimating one species after another. Just recently, Japan was found to be in violation of its quota on endangered blue fin tuna. I cannot find one example where Japan has carefully managed any marine species.
In regards to dolphins and whales, Japan’s blatant disregard for these species is unfathomable. Japan is cruelly and needlessly butchering over 20,000 dolphins and other small cetaceans every year. There is no humane way to kill a dolphin or whale and scientific research shows that dolphin and whale meat is unhealthy for human consumption. Your own Government studies show dolphin and whale meat can contain up to 10-16 times the healthful level of mercury and that elevated levels of mercury have been proven to cause birth defects, neural damage, and death. As a result, several Japanese supermarket chains have pulled dolphin and whale meat from their shelves due to the health risks. Despite this however, your fisheries agency continues to advocate for the needless killing of dolphins and whales.
In addition, your whaling fleet is now planning to kill over 1,000 whales in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary including endangered fin and humpback whales. There is nothing scientific about this slaughter. All the data being collected can be and is being collected through non-lethal means by bona-fide scientists, not bogus scientists like yours.
Recently, a representative for Japan’s fisheries agency said:
“Whales are just as important, and no more special, than any other fish,” says Japan Fisheries Agency spokesperson Hideki Moronuki, maintaining Japan’s long-held position that marine mammals should get no special treatment for being warm-blooded.
Your scientists can’t even tell the difference between a marine mammal and a fish. Do you realize how ignorant Japan looks to the rest of the world? Please be advised that we are telling all consumers to not purchase any Japanese made products until Japan stops killing dolphins and whales and we will be vigilant in this regard. We are determined to end Japan’s brutally cruel and needless slaughter of dolphins and whales and I will do everything within my power to ensure this.
Sincerely,
Hayden Panettiere
Spokesperson
Save the Whales Again! Campaign
Hayden will be speaking in Washington D.C. this weekend for her Save The Whales Again! Campaign, and will be announcing Golden Globe nominations in Los Angeles on Thursday.
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