Posted by Irene onboard the Esperanza

Rumour has it that the Japanese government wants to build a new whaling factory ship, to replace the Nisshin Maru. The Fisheries Industry in Japan claims that "some voices" have asked for this new factory ship. These voices most probably belong to the same bureaucrats who use Japanese public money for the swindle they call research. A new ship would not come cheap - it could cost between 14 billion and 21 billion yen (US$125 million to US$188 million).

Surely that money could come to better use somewhere else?

To use millions of unknowing taxpayers money to finance whaling is upsetting. But the fact that anybody in the year 2007 would want to build a whaling factory ship at all is just bizarre!

Read more and send a letter and ask Japan to stop the plans to build a new whaling ship, and instead start planning for an end to whaling in the Southern Oceans Whale Sanctuary.