In January 2007, Ayokawa Japan reported that whaling is a significant interest in Japan. Ms. Okubo also supported this statement, emphasizing that it is not a matter of the Japanese people disliking being told what to do, but rather their aversion to being instructed on what to eat by foreigners. This revelation is quite startling. Each year, in clear defiance of the regulations put in place to protect whales within the official Southern Ocean Sanctuary, the Japanese Government dispatches its fleet of ships without any display of sentiment. Shockingly, the Japanese harpoon and mercilessly kill over 1200 whales, resulting in a staggering number of deaths for these endangered creatures. Some of these ships, such as the Nisshin Maru, which carries a massive fuel load of over 1.5 million litres, along with ammonia and chemicals, have a substantial crew of approximately 147 individuals. Their intentions are resolute - to kill whales. 

In March 2007, the Nisshin Maru, the Japanese slaughter-house ship, experienced a devastating fire that claimed the life of one of its crew members. Upon inspection of the vessel, authorities discovered the remains of 500 endangered whales that had been brutally slaughtered and butchered. Had it not been for the fire, the number of harpooned and killed whales would have likely reached at least 960. Fortunately, 460 whales managed to evade this fate and are now happily swimming in the sea. However, our hearts ache for the 500 whales that endured a painful death and did not survive. It is equally disheartening to note that Norway, in violation of acceptable government quotas, hunts and slaughters over 1000 whales annually. Furthermore, the Norwegian Government permits the harpooning and killing of our endangered whales just 200 nautical miles off the coast of the United Kingdom, a distance equivalent to that between London and Leeds. Denmark, Greenland, the Faroes, Iceland, South Korea, St. Lucia, the Grenadines, and St. Vincent are also engaged in the merciless slaughter of whales. These practices, carried out by various nations, demonstrate a distressing disregard for the preservation of these magnificent creatures. It is imperative that we take decisive action to protect and conserve these endangered species.