What to do with 3,798 tonnes of whale meat stockpile?

So much whale meat left over
New Paper 23 Dec 07;

WHAT do you do when you have 3,798 tonnes of whale meat stockpile?

Answer: Turn it into dog food, school lunch or dishes for white-collar workers.

The Japanese government is desperately trying to reduce stockpiles from last season, encouraging public schools and the food industry to increase whale meat consumption, reported The Australian.

Since the International Whaling Commission imposed a ban on commercial whaling in 1986, the Japanese have seldom been able to eat whale meat.

But backed by the government's initiative to reduce stockpiles, more Japanese schools have now started serving whale meat for children's school lunches.

In Japan, whale meat jerky has also been sold as dog food - although the company denies that this has continued.

Another company, Asian Lunch, which runs street vendors in Tokyo's central district, last month introduced whale mince curry for white colour workers. It has been serving 600 dishes of whale curry a day in 14 places in Tokyo.

'We hope to attract young women, as well as middle-aged workers to the taste of whale meat,' said the vice-president of Asian Lunch .

Under strong protests from the international community, especially Australia, Japan has abandoned its plans to kill humpback whales, reported The Telegraph.

Japan had planned to harpoon 50 humpbacks on a current expedition in Antarctica, the first time since the 1960s that Tokyo would have hunted the species.

But at a news conference yesterday, Japan's chief government spokesman said: 'Japan will not hunt humpback whales.

'As a result, I hope that this will lead to better relations with Australia.'

Humpbacks support a multi-million-dollar whale-watching business in Australia, New Zealand and some South Pacific countries.

But a manager in a popular whale meat restaurant in Tokyo had other sentiments:

'Eating whale meat is a part of food culture in Japan, which should not be disturbed by other countries' people such as Australians,' he said.