Japan's whaling industry heavily subsidized by Japanese Government

Japan hunts whales under the pretence of so-called science despite a worldwide ban on commercial whaling.

New research reveals true cost of Japanese whaling
February 2013. Japan's dying whaling industry is being propped up by millions of pounds a year in public money, according new research by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW).

Japanese government diverted tsunami relief funds to support whaling
In the report, The Economics of Japanese Whaling, IFAW claims that the Japanese government even diverted tsunami relief funds to support whaling. Annual government subsidies for Japanese whaling average around 782 million yen (£5.35m), but in 2011 this increased by around 2.28 billion yen (£15.6m).

The report, prepared following a year-long research effort conducted by leading Japan-based agencies commissioned by IFAW, provides the clearest picture ever of the failing whaling industry based largely on the government of Japan's own data, never before presented in this way, inside or outside Japan.

Whaling economics
While the findings demonstrate that whaling is unprofitable and catering to an increasingly shrinking and ageing market, whale watching is, by contrast, a growth industry.

Patrick Ramage, Director of IFAW's Global Whale Programme, said: "Here it is, for the first time, in black and white. IFAW's report proves conclusively that Japan's cruel whaling industry is dying in the water while Japanese taxpayers are being forced to foot the bill. This cruel, outmoded industry is in the red. Whaling is an economic loser.

"Now is the time for concerned citizens, NGOs and governments around the world to stop bludgeoning the good people of Japan and start helping them migrate from whaling to whale watching - a profitable solution that benefits whales, people and coastal communities in Japan and around the world."

Read on:  http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/japan-whaling-cost.html