BreakingNews·190706 - 30年后，日本開始商業(yè)捕鯨

Japan has resumed commercial whaling after a hiatus of over three decades. Commercial whaling was banned in 1986 by an International Whaling Commission (IWC) moratorium. However, Japan withdrew from the IWC in December. Japan's government has promised all whalers will stay within 320 kilometers from its coast. The Japanese fisheries agency set a quota for killing 227 whales every six months. In the first days of resumed whaling, whalers caught two minke whales, which were taken to the northern port of Kushiro. The whale meat was auctioned in Tokyo and sold for record prices. Eager restaurant owners snapped up the meat at prices of up to $140 per kilo.

日本在中斷了30多年后恢復了商業(yè)捕鯨。1986年，國際捕鯨委員會(IWC)暫停了商業(yè)捕鯨。然而，日本在12月退出了國際捕鯨委員會。日本政府已承諾所有捕鯨船將停留在距海岸320公里以內。日本漁業(yè)局制定了每六個月捕殺227頭鯨魚的配額。在恢復捕鯨的最初幾天，捕鯨者捕獲了兩條小須鯨，它們被帶到北部的庫什羅港。鯨魚肉在東京拍賣，以創(chuàng)紀錄的價格出售。熱心的餐館老板以每公斤140美元的價格搶購這些肉。

Japan has engaged in the practice of whaling for centuries. Whale restaurant chef Mitsuo Tani summed up why he thought the return of commercial whaling was important. He said: "A country that does not preserve its food culture has no future." He also promoted the health benefits of whale meat. He said: "It is five times lower in calories than beef, 10 times lower in cholesterol, two times less fat than chicken and it's packed with iron. But abroad, people do not know this." However, Japan's return to whaling has brought international outcry. The Humane Society accused Japan of starting a "new and shocking era of pirate whaling". It added: "This is a sad day for whale protection globally."

日本從事捕鯨已經有幾個世紀了。鯨魚餐廳的廚師Mitsuo Tani總結了他認為商業(yè)捕鯨的回歸很重要的原因。他說：“一個不保存其飲食文化的國家沒有前途。”他還促進了鯨魚肉對健康的益處。他說：“它的卡路里比牛肉低五倍，膽固醇低十倍，脂肪比雞肉少兩倍，而且里面充滿了鐵。但在國外，人們并不知道這一點。”然而，日本重返捕鯨業(yè)引起了國際社會的強烈抗議。人道社會指責日本開始了“海盜捕鯨的新的令人震驚的時代”。它補充說：“這是全球保護鯨魚的可悲的一天。”