Whale Blame

Abstract

Broadcast Transcript: The Japanese have taken small numbers of whales from their coastal waters for centuries, but Japan only began deep-sea whaling in the 1930s, selling the whale oil to soap makers in Europe and using the profits to fund imperial expansion. During World War II, Japanese whaling came to an end, as the nation's whaling fleet was sunk by Allied bombs and torpedoes. After the war, Japanese whaling looked all washed up, but unexpectedly strong support from Douglas MacArthur's occupation forces revived the industry. American planners figured that whale meat was a plentiful, inexpensive source of protein for the hungry Japanese masses. Thus, the U.S. provided the capital, equipment, and technical assistance to get Japan's whalers back on the high seas. So, the next time you say "Save the Whales," you might also ask "From whom?" #ceas #japan #tsutsui