Dear Teen Ink Community,

How would you feel if you witnessed someone in your family being murdered; getting stabbed over and over again crying out for help but no one comes, then finally dying from choking on their own blood? Could you stand to see them go through all that pain?

Although it seems brutal, that’s happening to whales and dolphins in Taiji Japan. Possibly right this second. Many people believe that no animal should suffer for human benefit even without a vegetarian view, but they should be protected as a special case because their mammals. Whales are self-aware meaning the can know what’s going on, as well as dolphins. They understand that they are being killed and they can feel it a lot more than we would, because their brains are bigger and more convoluted.

Japan exploits a loophole in IWC legislation, and has never stopped killing whales despite the Moratorium. They just assign themselves a permit to undertake ‘scientific whaling’. Which is Killing whales for the purpose of scientific research. Japanese claim to be undertaking research by killing whales. However, most of the data collected by the Japanese ‘Scientific whaling’ program is not needed for management or conservation of whale stocks and is never published in scientific journals.
This practice has been described as “commercial whaling in disguise” the meat ends up for sale in high-class Japanese restaurants. Most Japanese don’t even know that their eating whale and dolphin. Dolphin meat contains high quantities of mercury that is very toxic to your body. It causes birth defects and deformations. Whale and dolphin meat is being given out in most Japanese schools. Innocent children are being affected!

Whales are one of the most amazing creatures that live on the planet. They inhabit all oceans of the world, but not for long if we just sit back and let Japan kill them off. We can make a difference by making sure people all over the world is informed and aware that whaling is going on.


Sincerely,

Kiasia R.