comment: >
  
  That's not true. Japanese have been whaling since the 12th century (or thereabouts). However, Japan vegan whaling on an industrial level around 1890.
context: From next month, the company plans to import 3,000 tons of fin-whale meat a year from Iceland, in a deal to support the whaling industry worldwide.
  
  3000 tons per year. >
  
  Yeah but adult fin whales weight like 40-80 tons each, so that's only like ... Oh, oh that's a lot. >
  
  You’re not even factoring in that a huge portion of that total body weight is bone and internal organs that if I had to guess don’t factor into those 3000 tons. Whaling is a barbaric practice, and the Japanese should receive far more international pressure to stop it than they do. >
  
  Completely agree. I think the idea that all cultural ideals, values, and traditions are equally valuable and shouldn’t be judged by those outside of the culture has become too all-encompassing. 
  Within reason, yes we should respect cultural ideals that differ from our own, but when culture and tradition are used to justify animal cruelty, homophobia, misogyny, slavery, etc a line has been crossed. 
  If stoning people because they’re homosexual is a key component of your “cultural identity” or justified on that basis, your culture is flawed and in need of reflection, growth, and change. >
  
  If they want to hunt whales because their ancestors did, fine. They can do it in a rowboat with a hand thrown harpoon, like their ancestors did. >
  
  The Japanese whaling industry started after ww2 when Douglas MacArthur was looking for non military industries to put people back to work.