Japan resumes whaling, why?

Why? why butcher intelligent complex animals?  Many experts define them as having a 'culture'. They grief for their dead offsprings, learn, and even relay their knowledge to others.

I could go on and on.

So why now, after almost half a century, hunt them again to extinction?


I know that many will say, why do we eat meat. I do not want to enter this discussion.
Enough to say we raise animals for food. There is no danger of driving cows or pigs or lambs to extinction. The main issue here is to insure their wellbeing from birth to death.

There is not reason for hunting whales for food. Japan is a wealthy country. There are no food shortages in Japan and there are no health benefits in butchering whales according to main stream science.
So why?

It is a fact that commercial whaling is no longer a valid economic activity.
Nanami Kurasawa of the Iruka and Kujira (dolphin and whale) Action Network (IKAN) told CNN "Actually many (regular) people don't have any interest in whales or whaling now in Japan,"
While the Japanese political class has sought the resumption of commercial whaling activities, campaigners say eating whale is becoming "less and less popular."

So why ?

The strange argument is the statement "Engagement in whaling has been supporting local communities, and thereby developed the life and culture of using whales."
So we ought to preserve all habits communities have since the beginning of times.
Super! Let's allow girls genital mutilation, GVB, exorcism, cannibalism, human sacrifice, and so many other 'cultural' rites and 'rights'!
Get real!

Japan is not the only culprit, Iceland and Norway, countries that pretend to be upholder of human rights, object to the moratorium and continue to hunt whales commercially without relying on science as an excuse. Shame!

I am so sad to hear the news of resumption of commercial whaling by Japan as 2018 is coming to its conclusion. 2018 is a year that witnessed many horrible events and seem to end on a horrible note.