Despite Denmark¡¯s recent rejection of Japan¡¯s extradition request for anti-whaling activist Paul Watson, who was apprehended in July based on a 2012 Interpol arrest warrant issued by Tokyo, and a near worldwide consensus opposing whale hunting, Japan shows no signs of halting its whaling industry.
On the contrary, the country even launched a brand-new whaling ship, the Kangei Maru, which will be able to process a vast quantity of whale meat.
To defend this position, Japan argues that whaling is part of its history and culture, while stressing industry needs and food security. Yet, behind Watson¡¯s arrest and release from a prison in Greenland ¡ª the Japanese government had accused him of damaging a whaling ship in 2010 in the Antarctic and injuring a crew member with a stink bomb ¡ª lies a broader concern that has less to do with embedded cultural tradition and more to do with making a statement about Japan¡¯s maritime sovereignty.
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