VOA慢速英语2019--日本重新开始商业捕鲸

Japan Restarts Commercial Whaling

Japanese hunters killed at least two whales Monday in the first commercial whale hunt in more than 30 years.

Japan stopped commercial whaling in 1988 after the International Whaling Commission, or IWC, banned the killing¹ of whales. However, last December, Japan said it would leave the IWC on June 30.

Japan has long disputed the idea that whales are endangered.

Even with the ban in place, for years Japan continued to hunt whales for what it said was scientific research. However, critics have long said Japan was not truthful² about its purpose. They argued that the activity was commercial because Japan sold the meat collected from the hunts.

In the 2017-2018 whaling season, Japanese sailors killed 333 whales in Antarctic waters. More than 120 of them were pregnant females.

The whaling ships sailed Monday from the port of Kushiro, on the northern island of Hokkaido. They will hunt in Japanese waters for three sorts of whales: minke, sei and Bryde’s.

Japan's return to commercial whaling has caused international criticism.

Kitty Block is president of Humane³ Society International. She was angry about Japan’s decision and said Japan is “undermining” its international image for a product that is no longer in demand.

Whaling is a very small industry in Japan. Government data says that whale accounts for 0.1 percent of meat eaten in the country. The industry employs a few hundred people.

But some experts say Japan's move might help some whales because it will mean that Japan will stop hunting whales in the Southern Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean and other sensitive areas.

Japan's Fisheries Agency set a limit of 227 whale kills for this year. Japan caught as many as 1,200 whales a year in the name of scientific research.

Patrick Ramage is the head of the International Fund for Animal Welfare. He welcomed Japan’s move. He said, "What we are seeing is the beginning of the end of Japanese whaling."

I’m Caty Weaver⁴.

Words in This Story

commercial – adj. related to or used in the buying and selling of goods and services

mammal – n. a type of animal that feeds milk to its young and that usually has hair or fur covering most of its skin

undermine – v. to make (someone or something) weaker or less effective usually in a secret or gradual way

1 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

2 truthful   

adj.真实的，说实话的，诚实的

参考例句：

• You can count on him for a truthful report of the accident.你放心，他会对事故作出如实的报告的。
• I don't think you are being entirely truthful.我认为你并没全讲真话。

3 humane   

adj.人道的，富有同情心的

参考例句：

• Is it humane to kill animals for food?宰杀牲畜来吃合乎人道吗？
• Their aim is for a more just and humane society.他们的目标是建立一个更加公正、博爱的社会。

4 weaver   

n.织布工；编织者

参考例句：

• She was a fast weaver and the cloth was very good.她织布织得很快，而且布的质量很好。
• The eager weaver did not notice my confusion.热心的纺织工人没有注意到我的狼狈相。