A company from Japan had the idea of selling whale meat in vending machines in the city of Tokyo. The initiative divided opinions among the Japanese, who held protests in some parts of the country. In 1986, the International Whaling Commission banned commercial whaling after the extinction of some species. However, whaling continued in Japan for research purposes. Commercial whaling resumed in 2019 in the Asian country. The company selling whale meat in machines aims to increase the number to 100 locations in the next five years in Japan.
The firm focused on the whaling industry Kyodo Senpaku was responsible for making the self-service terminals, known in the country as hanbaikis. The Whale Stores offer canned, frozen, and sashimi-style whale meat. Prices range from 1,000 to 3,000 yen, which would be an average of R$40 to R$120 in reais.
Before the machines were implemented, a test was conducted at the end of last year. Kyodo Senpaku’s spokesperson, Konomu Kubo, stated in an interview with the British newspaper The Guardian that sales exceeded expectations. “Sales surpassed our expectations, even though the products are not exactly cheap.” Additionally, according to Kyodo Senpaku, many curious individuals and elderly people wanting to reminisce about their childhood buy this type of meat.
Regarding the criticisms the company has been receiving since the installation of the whale meat machines, the spokesperson claims it does not reflect the opinion of the majority. “We are aware of the criticisms, but they are a minority. What is important to us is how popular the machines have proven to be so far.” As one of the market leaders, Kyodo Senpaku annually supplies an average of 100 tons of whale meat to be offered to children in school lunches.
The tradition of whale meat is not new
The consumption of whale meat intensified after World War II: in the early 1960s. During this period, about 233,000 tons were consumed in a year in Japan. In Japan, whale meat is called kujira. At that time, it was common for the meat to be served in school lunches. With awareness campaigns, whaling industries reduced the amount consumed. In 2021, for example, 1 ton of meat was consumed over a year in the Asian country. However, the presence and modernization of machines by the industry contributed to the popularization of this food.
People who are against the consumption of whale meat protest for it to be banned. In a statement, the Whale and Dolphin Conservation expressed: “Only a small, yet influential, group of politicians and industry shareholders drive whaling interests in the country,” the organization stated in a note. The industry has the support of conservative politicians, who accuse opposition groups to whale consumption of killing a tradition in the name of what they call “culinary imperialism.”
The importance of whales for the environment
According to the The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), whales are the most intelligent creatures in the ocean, as well as being the largest. They are responsible for accumulating a large amount of carbon in their bodies. This allows them to store billions of tons of carbon dioxide each year. According to a study by the International Monetary Fund, protecting whales has a monetary incentive, as these animals are an important nature-based solution for capturing carbon from human emissions, which influences the reduction of global warming.
With an average lifespan of 200 years, when whales die, they sink to the ocean floor and take the carbon with them. According to the study, each whale captures at least 33 tons of carbon dioxide.
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