Japan vs Whales

A recent article reporting a crash between a Sea Shepherd Conservation Society vessel and a Japanese Whaling ship reminded me of a controversy I seldom think about, Japanese whaling. When this issue comes up my immediate reaction has always been that assume whaling is horrific and the Japanese are horrible for doing it. I was not convinced otherwise by this article, however, it did prompt my search to discover why the Japanese continue to hunt whales even though the IWC (International Whaling Commission, duh) has banned it since 1986. I found a Time article and an Animal Planet article, both provided useful information on the history and purpose of Japanese whaling. The Japanese have been whaling for thousands of years. It helped keep the people fed in some of the harshest times of Japanese history, like post WW2. To many Japanese people, attempts to stop whaling is seen as a direct assault on Japanese culture. This information was enlightening to me, but not powerful enough to sway my stubborn, uneducated anti-whaling stance. After reading that the Japanese primarily hunt Minke whales, a plentiful species in the southern ocean, I had no arguments left. Japan Fisheries Agency spokesperson Hideki Moronuki said, "Whales are just as important, and no more special, than any other fish". Even though whales aren't fish, I agree with the message he was conveying. What do you think? Are the Japanese immoral for hunting whales? Are attempts to stop whaling truly an assault on Japanese culture? Is hunting whales more immoral than hunting other animals? Why is the majority of the world against hunting non-endangered species of whale?

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Hilarious South Park episode regarding Japanese whaling