THE COST OFCONVENIENCE

www.eia-international.org

7-Eleven, Ito-Yokado and Japan’s Whale,

Dolphin and Porpoise Kills

environmental investigation agency

Contents

References 13

Front cover photos: Ito-Yokado photo: © David Sims/Environmental Investigation Agency. 7-Eleven photo: © Mia Strickland/Environmental Investigation Agency. Minke Whale: © Greenpeace/Sutton-Hibbert Back cover photo: © Pierre Gleizes/Environmental Investigation Agency

AcknowledgementsThis report was written by Mia Strickland, Ezra Clark, Clare Perry and Wendy Elliott. Edited by ClarePerry. Picture research by Paul Redman.Special thanks to Frank Cipriano.

The assistance of the Humane Society of the United States in the production ofthis report is gratefully acknowledged.

The support of the HomelandFoundation, the David BohnettFoundation and the D. G. CharitableTrust is gratefully acknowledged.

Report design by Full Stop, London.clare.mellor@btinternet.com

Many thanks to Brian Emmerson and all at Emmerson Press for printing this report. Emmerson Press Tel: 01926 854400

Printed on 100% recycled paper.

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Introduction 1

The 7-Eleven Ito-YokadoConnection 2

History of Whaling 3

‘Scientific Whaling’ 4

Japan’s Abuse of the Southern Ocean Sanctuary 5

The Slaughter of Small Cetaceans in Japan 6

The Sale of Cetacean Products in Japan 9

Conclusions and Recommendations 12

© David Sims/Environmental Investigation Agency

1

Introduction

Introduction

The Ito-Yokado Company of Japan plays amajor role in sustaining the Government of Japan’s flagrant refusal to follow theinternational moratorium on commercialhunting of whales. Ito-Yokado is a majordistributor of cetacean (whale, dolphin andporpoise) products throughout more than 100 of its supermarket stores in Japan.

Since Ito-Yokado (through the Ito-YokadoGroup) obtained majority ownership of the 7-Eleven convenience store chain in 1991 morethan 175,000 whales, dolphins and porpoiseshave been killed by Japanese hunters. As one ofthe leading supermarket chains in Japan, Ito-Yokado helps to sustain the whale huntingindustry in Japan in spite of the 16-yearinternational moratorium on commercial whaling.

The Environmental Investigation Agency(EIA) surveyed 181 Ito-Yokado supermarkets in Japan and found that 107 sold whale meatand other cetacean products. A second on-sitesurvey of 46 stores across the countryconfirmed the sale of whale, dolphin orporpoise products in 39 of the stores on the day of the visit.

For the past 16 years the Government ofJapan has refused to follow the decisions of theInternational Whaling Commission (IWC),whose member countries voted to ban the

commercial hunting of the world’s great whalespecies. The IWC is the body recognised by theUnited Nations as having legal authority overthe world’s whales. Despite the ban, Japan hascontinued to hunt whales for commercialpurposes in the Southern Ocean, which wasdesignated a whale sanctuary in 1994, and inthe Pacific Ocean. In addition, despite the banon international trade under the Convention onInternational Trade in Endangered Species(CITES), Japan has recently indicated itsintention to import whale meat from Norway.

7-Eleven Inc. is intimately linked to Ito-Yokado. In addition to Ito-Yokado owningthe majority of 7-Eleven Inc., four of its keyexecutives sit on the 7-Eleven Board ofDirectors. Will the remaining shareholders andcustomers of 7-Eleven want to support acompany that, inadvertently or otherwise,contributes to the mass killing of thousands ofwhales, dolphins and porpoises each year? TheEnvironmental Investigation Agency is calling onthe Board of 7-Eleven Inc. to use its corporateconnections to urge Ito-Yokado to cease sellingall whale, dolphin and porpoise products in itsstores to assist in bringing an end to the ongoingslaughter of cetaceans in Japan.

Allan ThorntonPresident,Environmental Investigation AgencyApril 2002

Left: Commondolphin.

Insert: dolphin meat on sale in Ito-Yokado store in Shizuoka, Japan.

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“Since Ito-Yokadoobtainedmajorityownershipof 7-Elevenmore than175,000whales,dolphinsandporpoiseshave beenkilled byJapanesehunters”

2

The 7-Eleven Ito-Yokado Connection

The 7-Eleven Ito-YokadoConnection

Since it was founded in 1927 in Dallas, Texas,7-Eleven has been an innovator and leader ofconvenience stores worldwide. It has becomethe nation’s largest independent retailer ofgasoline and is the largest operator, franchiserand licensor of convenience stores worldwide.There are over 2,600 company owned andoperated 7-Eleven stores in the United Statesand Canada, with over 15,400 additionalfranchised and licensed stores worldwide. Ofthe 1,977 corporate operated stores in the USA,94% are located in Colorado, Florida,Maryland, Texas, Utah and Virginia.

In March 1991 The IY Group, a whollyowned subsidiary of Ito-Yokado Co. Ltd. andSeven-Eleven Japan Co. Ltd., purchased69.98% of the outstanding shares of 7-ElevenInc. (hereafter known as 7-Eleven). Less than adecade later, in March 2000, the IY Groupincreased its ownership of 7-Eleven to 72.7%through the purchase of an additional22,736,842 outstanding common stocks1.

Ito-Yokado operates one of the leadingsupermarket chains in Japan. EIA investigationshave revealed that Ito-Yokado is a largedistributor of whale, dolphin and porpoiseproducts in Ito-Yokado supermarketsthroughout Japan.

Not only does Ito-Yokado own 7-Eleven,the two companies are intimately connectedthrough corporate governance. Four of thethirteen Board Directors of 7-Eleven hold keyexecutive offices within Ito-Yokado, namely theHonorary Chairman, the President and CEO,the Executive Vice President and the GeneralManager for Corporate Development.

Right: 7-Eleven ownsand operates morethan 2,600 stores inthe US and Canadaas well as licensingand franchising morethan 15,400 outletsaround the world.

Below right: The Ito-Yokado groupowns 72.7% of 7-Eleven Inc. ©

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Below: Up to 18,000Dall’s porpoise arekilled in handharpoon hunts inJapan every year.

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7-Eleven plays a vital role in the success ofIto-Yokado. The revenues from US operationsaccount for over 30% of Ito-Yokado’sconsolidated revenue totals. Furthermore, therevenues from all convenience store operations(made up of both 7-Eleven, Inc. and Seven-Eleven Japan) amount to almost 50% of Ito-Yokado’s revenue total.

Ito-Yokado’s ownership of 7-Elevenguarantees that the corporate executives of Ito-Yokado directly oversee decisions made at7-Eleven and have the power stop the sale ofcetacean products in all Ito-Yokado ownedsupermarkets.

3

History of Whaling

History of Whaling

During the 20th century the commercial whalingindustry decimated whale populations across theglobe. Even before ‘modern whaling’ started in1870, the British, Dutch and North Americanfleets had practically eradicated right whales from the northern hemisphere. With the adventof steam-powered whaling vessels and thedevelopment of the exploding harpoon in thelatter half of the 19th century, commercialwhalers were able to exploit the fast swimmingblue, fin, sei and Bryde’s whales.2

Commercial whaling inevitably caused a major reduction in the abundance of theexploited species. Driven by short-termeconomic incentives, the over-hunting, under-reporting and mis-reporting of species,size and sex of whales was widespread. As onespecies was decimated, the whalers turned their attention to progressively smaller species.

The International Whaling Commission(IWC) was established in 1946 under theInternational Convention for the Regulation ofWhaling (ICRW) as the body responsible forthe global management and conservation ofwhales. The convention was signed andratified by all the major whaling nations.Repeated attempts by the IWC to controlcommercial hunting through quota and sizerestrictions failed however, and by the 1970smost species of great whale had beencatastrophically depleted.

In 1982 the IWC agreed a moratorium onall commercial whaling, setting zero catchquotas for all the great whales listed under theICRW, to take effect in 1986. In support of themoratorium, the Convention on InternationalTrade in Endangered Species (CITES) alsobanned international trade in the products ofall the great whale species that were not alreadyfully protected. The moratorium has savedmany whale species from almost certainextinction through over-hunting. Despiterelentless efforts by Japan and Norway tooverturn them, these conservation measuresremain in place today. Only Japan and Norwayhave consistently defied the moratorium andcontinue commercial whaling operations.

Continuing Illegal TradeSixteen years after the implementation of theIWC moratorium there is still a disturbingvariety of meat from protected whale speciessold in Japan’s commercial markets. RecentDNA surveys exposed the sale of fin, sei,Bryde’s and minke whale products (allprotected since the 1986 moratorium) as wellas gray and humpback whale (protected since1937 and 1966 respectively).3

Rather than crackdown on the flourishingdomestic trade in illicit whale products fromprotected species, the Government of Japan hasrecently legalised the sale of meat from whalescaught in fishing nets.4 The new legislationenacted in July 2001 resulted in an immediatefive-fold increase in the number of minkewhales reported trapped and killed in fishinggear. According to Japanese news agencies, 52minke whales were ensnared and subsequentlysold in the last six months of 2001.5

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Above and below:Japan continues tohunt whales despite the internationallyagreed moratoriumimplemented in 1986.

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‘Scientific Whaling’ and the GrowingIntransigence of theGovernment of Japan

In 1987, Japan started to catch minke whalesusing a loophole in the 1946 WhalingConvention that allows countries to issuethemselves with special permits for catchingwhales for ‘scientific purposes’. Since then, the Government of Japan has permitted morethan 5,000 whales to be killed, mostly in theSouthern Ocean which was designated as anIWC whale sanctuary in 1994.6 With theresulting meat and blubber products soldcommercially in Japan, this thinly disguisedcommercial whaling has drawn repeatedcriticism from the IWC. Between 1987 and2001, the IWC passed 19 resolutions urging theGovernment of Japan not to issue such permitsfor the hunt.

In May 2000 the Japanese governmentannounced that they had issued permits to taketwo additional protected species from theNorth Pacific – Bryde’s and sperm whales. Theinternational community was outraged, and

many countries around the world protested atthe highest diplomatic level.7 The Governmentof Japan refused to capitulate and Japan’swhaling fleet killed 93 Bryde’s whales and 13sperm whales during the 2000 and 2001 Pacifichunts. The United States has since certifiedJapan under the 1978 Pelly Amendment of TheFisherman’s Protective Act of 1967. This actallows the President to sanction a country thatis diminishing the effectiveness of aninternational conservation program forthreatened or endangered species. To date theUS has stopped short of imposing sanctions,although Japan has been denied future access tofishing rights in US waters.

The Government of Japan has recentlyannounced its intention to further expand its‘scientific whaling’, this time increasing theannual self-issued quota of minke whales by 100and including 50 sei whales in the catch, aspecies that has been listed as endangered by theWorld Conservation Union (IUCN) since 1975.8

Japan has also indicated its intention toimport whale meat from Norway, in defiance of the international trade ban implemented byCITES in 1986. The current ban oninternational trade in great whale productsrepresents the democratic decision of a body of more than 150 countries.9

‘Scientific Whaling’

Whales protected by the IWC moratorium

picturedBlue whaleFin whaleSperm whaleRight whaleSei whaleHumpback whaleGray whaleMinke whale

not picturedBowhead (or Greenland Right whale)Bryde’s whalePygmy whale

This thinlydisguisedcommercialwhaling hasdrawnrepeatedcriticismfrom the IWC

5

Japan’s Abuse of the Southern Ocean Sanctuary

INDIAN OCEAN

South America

Australia

Antarctica ATLANTIC OCEAN

PACIFIC OCEAN

Japan’s Abuse of theSouthern Ocean Sanctuary

In 1994 the IWC voted by a majority of 23 to 1 to designate the entire Southern Ocean as asanctuary, with only Japan voting against thedesignation.

The Southern Ocean Sanctuary was createdto ‘. . . contribute to the rehabilitation of theAntarctic marine ecosystem and the protection ofall Southern Hemisphere species and populationsof baleen whales and the sperm whale on theirfeeding grounds.’ It was also designed to link upwith the Indian Ocean Sanctuary, providing alarge area within which all whales would be freefrom commercial hunting.10

Japan began catching minke whales underscientific permit in the Antarctic in 1987,immediately after the IWC moratorium wasimplemented. Despite the almost universalsupport for the Southern Ocean Sanctuarywithin the IWC, Japan continued whaling withinthe sanctuary under scientific permit afterregistering an objection under Article V of theConvention. Japan’s whaling fleet has since killedmore than 5,000 Southern Ocean minke whalesin the name of ‘science’.11

There is now serious concern regarding thestatus of Antarctic minke whales. Recentabundance estimates reported by the IWCScientific Committee suggest that the populationmay have suffered a precipitous decline over thelast decade. The cause of the decline is notknown, but scientists have suggested that theeffects of climate change are most likely toblame.12 IWC member governments furtherreiterated their strong opposition to Japan’sAntarctic hunt in a resolution passed at the 53rd meeting in July 200113.

The Southern Ocean Sanctuary (shown in yellow) was set up to protect whales in theirfeeding grounds and to allow Antarctic marine ecosystems to recover.

Japan’s catches of Southern Ocean minke whales after the moratorium wasimplemented in 1986, yellow bars show catches of minke whales in the SouthernOcean after it was designated as a Sanctuary.

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Left: Southern Oceanminke whale.

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The Slaughter of Small Cetaceans in Japan

The Slaughter of SmallCetaceans in Japan

Since Ito-Yokado obtained majority ownership of 7-Eleven in 1991, more than175,000 dolphins, porpoises and small whales (collectively known as small cetaceans)have been caught off the coast of Japan. The mass killings continue each year, despiteoverwhelming international and growingdomestic opposition to the hunts.

Small Cetacean HuntsThe Government of Japan permits the killing ofup to 22,000 dolphins, porpoises and smallwhales off its coast each year, with the productssold in commercial markets across Japan.

There is no government enforcement orregulatory control of small cetacean hunts.Numerous EIA investigations have confirmedthat the landing, transportation anddistribution of small cetaceans and smallcetacean products are almost completely

unsupervised. Fishermen are merely required toreport the number of animals caught to theirlocal fishery cooperative, which then reports theoverall number to the regional prefecturaloffice. These figures are then used to compilenational statistics. Prefectural staff are notrequired to physically inspect or monitor thenumbers of dolphins and porpoises caught orlanded. With over 400 boats authorized to huntsmall cetaceans, the system of self-regulation iswide open to abuse.14

In 1959, over 20,000 striped dolphins werecaught in the area of Shizuoka alone. Over thenext twenty years, the population plummeteddue to over-hunting and the catch for stripeddolphins almost completely collapsed.15 TheRed List of Japanese mammals records thestriped dolphin as ‘highly endangered’.16

As the striped dolphin catches declined,Dall’s porpoise meat was shipped south to fillthe gap in the market. At the same time,Japan’s big whaling companies began trading inporpoise meat to compensate for the reductionin large whale catches due to the IWCmoratorium.17 As a result, the Dall’s porpoise

Below:After the IWCMoratorium, Japan’sbig whalingcompanies beganlarge scale trading in porpoise meat.

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The Slaughter of Small Cetaceans in Japan

catch shot up from around 10,000 in 1985 toover 40,000 in 1988. In 1990 the IWC passedthe first of a series of resolutions calling for areduction in Japan’s catch of Dall’s porpoises.18

In 1992 and 1993 the IWC passed furtherresolutions, calling on the Government of Japanto follow the IWC Scientific Committee’s adviceto immediately halt the hunt for stripeddolphins until a proper assessment is made.19

Although a smaller Dall’s porpoise quota wasset in 1991, the resolutions and therecommendations of the IWC ScientificCommittee have been largely ignored by theGovernment of Japan.

The Dall’s porpoise hand harpoon huntcontinues to be the world’s largest direct kill ofany cetacean species, with up to 18,000 animalskilled each year. Data released by EIA in 1999revealed a high proportion of mature andlactating females in some catches, causingconcern that one or more populations are being

Bottle- Short- False Baird'sYear Dall's Striped Spotted nose Risso's finned Killer beaked Total

porpoise dolphin dolphin dolphin dolphin pilot whale whale whale

1991 17634 1017 153 405 393 355 54 54 20065

1992 11403 1045 636 172 121 360 97 54 13888

1993 14318 544 565 215 505 337 20 54 16558

1994 15947 545 449 362 312 196 0 54 17865

1995 12396 539 105 963 405 239 49 54 14750

1996 16100 303 67 314 372 484 40 54 17734

1997 18540 602 23 352 228 347 43 54 20189

1998 11385 449 460 266 445 229 48 54 13336

1999 14807 596 38 749 489 394 5 62 17140

2000 16171 300 39 1426 506 304 8 62 18816

Total 148701 5940 2535 5224 3776 3245 364 556 170341

Reported catches of small cetaceans in Japan since 1991

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The 2001 IWC resolution on Dall’s porpoisewas passed by 20 votes to 13. It read, in part:

“NOTING that the Scientific Committee reiteratedits extreme concern for these stocks andrepeated its previous recommendations thatcatches be reduced as soon as possible tosustainable levels . . . Now therefore theCommission URGES the Government of Japan to halt the directed takes of Dall’s porpoises until a full assessment by the ScientificCommittee has been carried out.” 22

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severely over-hunted.20 After a status review atthe 53rd meeting of the IWC in July 2001, theIWC Scientific Committee expressed “extremeconcern” over the huge numbers killed eachyear.21 The current abundance estimates used toset quotas by the Japanese government are overa decade old. Since then more than 130,000porpoises have been reported taken, as well assubstantial numbers classified as ‘by-catch’which do not figure in official statistics. Inresponse to the IWC Scientific Committee

review the IWC passed a further resolution, thistime calling for an immediate halt to the Dall’sporpoise hunts. The Government of Japan hasonce again ignored this resolution, andcontinues to ignore the advice of the IWC’sscientific body. Japan has also refused to takepart in the future work of the small cetaceansub-committee of the Scientific Committee, thuspreventing the completion of a full statusreview of the Dall’s porpoise.

The Slaughter of Small Cetaceans in Japan

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On 13 October, 1999, around 175 bottlenosedolphins were driven into Futo Harbour inShizuoka, southern Japan. Six of the dolphinswere caught for aquariums and 69 were brutallykilled. Shocking video footage of the capture andslaughter created a wave of international protestagainst the hunts. The fishermen involved in thecapture, removal and slaughter of the dolphinsclearly had no training in effective and humaneslaughter techniques, or had any concern for thewelfare of the dolphins. The resulting negativepublicity forced a promise from the Japanese IWCdelegation to introduce a ‘code of conduct’ toensure that dolphins are killed as quickly aspossible.23 So far, no action has been taken, andthe IWC Commissioner for Japan hassubsequently refused to honour the promise.24

Futo fishermen however have admitted thatinternational pressure may stop the hunts, andfurther, that stopping the hunt would cause noeconomic hardship.25

The recom-mendationsof the IWCScientificCommitteehave beenlargelyignored by theGovernmentof Japan

The Sale of CetaceanProducts in Japan

It is estimated that the annual quantity of‘whale’ meat sold in Japan, including that ofsmall cetaceans, is between 4,000 and 5,000tons. Market surveys indicate that more than70% of whale meat sold is not identified byspecies, nor do many retailers specify the sourceof the meat.26 DNA surveys of meat sold in 42of Japan’s 47 prefectures during 1999 and 2000found that just over half of the products sold aswhale meat were minke whale from ‘scientificwhaling’. Most of the remaining samples weredolphins, porpoises and small whales.27

According to the Government of Japan, anew labelling system now requires dolphinmeat to be labelled as such. The system, which

came into force in July 2000 for unprocessedmeat and in April 2001 for processed meat,applies to all food products in Japan. Thesystem apparently includes penalties that wouldapply to the mis-labelling of dolphin meat aswhale meat.28 EIA investigations havedemonstrated that the sale of dolphin orporpoise as whale is still widespread in Japan,and that the general public is unaware that theyare purchasing and consuming dolphinproducts. Of 17 ‘whale’ products purchased byEIA investigators in March 2001, only fiveproved to be products from great whales. DNAanalyses revealed a variety of small cetaceans,including Dall’s porpoise, pilot whale andbottlenose dolphin. A further survey of Ito-Yokado supermarkets in October 2001reaffirmed that small cetacean products aremislabelled as ‘whale’ and sold to anunknowing public.

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The Sale of Cetacean Products in Japan

Left: Whale meat onsale at Tsukji fishmarket, Japan 2001.

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The Role of Japan’sSupermarket ChainsThe influence and importance of Japan’s largesupermarket chains in the sale and distributionof whale and dolphin products becameapparent in October 1999. An internationalgroup of toxicologists from Japan, US and theUK carried out DNA and contaminant analyseson 61 cetacean products bought in Japan. Theanalyses found that up to 40% of the samplescontained toxic substances above advisorylimits for mercury and pesticides (DDT anddieldrin). The concentration of mercury in onesample of dolphin liver was more than 500times greater than levels allowed under Japan’sFood Sanitation Law.29 The scientists presentedtheir findings to Japanese officials in theFisheries Agency and the Ministry of Healthand Welfare, and the results were widelyreported in the media. The resulting food scareprompted two large supermarket chains tosuspend their sales of small cetacean productsand forced a temporary halt to the dolphinhunts. Dolphin hunting and the sale of whaleand dolphin products in supermarkets resumedafter media attention died down.

All of the small cetacean products purchasedby EIA in March 2001 from another Japanesesupermarket chain exceeded the provisionalgovernment permitted level for mercurycontamination. The high contaminant levelstypically found in coastal small cetaceans remaina particular concern for Japanese consumers.

The Sale of Cetacean Products in Ito-Yokado StoresIto-Yokado operates 181 supermarkets across24 prefectures in six regions of Japan. EIAcommissioned a survey of Ito-Yokadosupermarkets to determine the extent of theirinvolvement in the retail of cetacean products.A Japanese researcher questioned staff workingin the fish department of all 181 supermarkets.The survey confirmed that a staggering 107 ofthe supermarkets sold whale products.

In October and November 2001, EIAinvestigators travelled to the Chugoku, Kansai,Kanto, Chubu, Tohoku and Hokkaido regionsof Japan, covering nine prefectures and visiting 46 Ito-Yokado supermarkets. When visitedcetacean products were found on sale in 39stores, representing 85% of the sampled stores.

EIA purchased 24 cetacean products from16 Ito-Yokado stores. DNA analysis confirmedthat Ito-Yokado sells meat from dolphins andporpoises slaughtered in brutal drive and

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Below:Ito-Yokado operates181 supermarketsacross Japan.

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Right: Whale meat inTsukji fish market,Japan.

Far right: Whale meaton sale in Ito-Yokadostore, Japan.

The Sale of Cetacean Products in Japan

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The Sale of Cetacean Products in Japan

harpoon hunts, as well as meat and blubberfrom Antarctic minke whales hunted in theSouthern Ocean Sanctuary – an area where allcommercial whaling is prohibited. Twenty-twoof the 24 samples that EIA investigatorspurchased from Ito-Yokado stores wereAntarctic minke whales.

The two remaining samples were meat fromsmall cetaceans. One sample sold in an Osakastore as ‘whale meat from the Pacific’ wasidentified as porpoise meat, most likely Dall’sporpoise. The second sample, purchased in anIto-Yokado store in Shizuoka, was revealed tobe meat from a bottlenose dolphin. Both ofthese small cetacean samples exceeded theGovernment of Japan’s permitted levels formercury and methylmercury. An employee fromthe store had earlier told EIA that they did notsell ‘whale’ products.

Six of the 46 stores that EIA visitedrevealed that they no longer sell whale meat

because of international condemnation ofJapan’s whaling. One store manager in Shindeneven told EIA investigators “Ito-Yokado is notsupposed to sell any whale meat.” However,other stores in the same area openly sold suchproducts. The DNA survey confirms Ito-Yokado’s extensive sale of meat and blubberfrom protected cetacean species.

Left: Number of Ito-Yokado storesanswering Yes/No to the question “do you sell whalemeat?”.

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Left: Porpoise meaton sale as ‘whalemeat’ in Ito-Yokadostore.

Kanto Region

YES NO

YES NO

Kansai Region

YES NO

Chugoku Region

Chubu Region

YES NO

Tohoku Region

YES NO

Hokkaido Region

YES NO

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Conclusions and Recommendations

Conclusions andRecommendations

EIA is calling on 7-Eleven to persuade Ito-Yokado to permanently end the sale of allwhale, dolphin and porpoise products in their stores.

Since 1986, the Government of Japan haspursued a relentless campaign to overturn theinternational moratorium on commercialwhaling and has spent more than US$320million in development aid primarily to smallCaribbean countries in exchange for votes toreinstate commercial whaling.30 Not contentwith hunting around 500 minke whales under

the pretext of ‘scientific research’, Japan hasexpanded the targeted species to Bryde’swhales, sperm whales and most recently seiwhales, a species officially listed as endangered.In addition, the Government of Japan setsquotas for the killing of more than 22,000small cetaceans every year.

Dolphin and porpoise products are oftenfound labelled as ‘whale’ for sale insupermarket chains in Japan. Most consumersin Japan are unaware that the ‘whale’ they arepurchasing could be dolphin or porpoise meat,and that it poses a grave health risk due to highlevels of mercury and other contaminants.

Major supermarket chains such as Ito-Yokado are responsible for the sale anddistribution of large amounts of whale, dolphinand porpoise meat. By stopping the sale in theirstores, Ito-Yokado can help reduce the demandfor endangered and threatened cetacean speciesthat are killed in vast numbers in cruel andunsustainable hunts.

The Japanese government has continuallyignored the decisions and recommendations ofthe IWC and clearly has no intention of abidingby future democratic decisions taken by IWCmember governments.

In the face of such blatant disregard forinternational conservation measures andinternational opinion, EIA is appealing to 7-Eleven to use its connections with Ito-Yokadoto help bring about an end to the ongoingslaughter of cetaceans in Japan.

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References

1. 7-Eleven annual report for the year 2000,page 53 and Ito-Yokado website:www.itoyokado.iyg.co.jp.

2. The Whaling Question (The Inquiry by SirSydney Frost of Australia) June 1979.

3. Lento et al. 2000. Market Survey, 1999:Molecular genetic identification of whaleand dolphin products for the sale in Japanand Korea. Paper SC/52/SD17 presentedto the IWC Scientific Committee, June2000.

4. Seafood.com, October 6, 2000. JapanExpands Rules Allowing Fishermen to SellWhale Meat.

5. Japan Today, Monday January 14, 2002.52 whales trapped in nets sold over 6months.

6. Government of Japan progress reports toIWC Scientific Committee, 1986-2000.

7. In June 2000, UK Prime Minister Blairsent a letter of protest to Japan’s PrimeMinister on behalf of the governments ofthe UK, US, Australia and New Zealand.In August 2000, a demarche signed byrepresentatives of 15 countries led by theRepublic of Ireland, went to the Ministryof Foreign Affairs in Japan.

8. The Japan Times: March 2, 2002Expanded whale hunt, inclusion ofprotected species denounced

9. Asahi Shimbun March 6, 2002: Whalemeat imports to resume.

10. Website of the IWC: www.iwcoffice.org11. Government of Japan Progress Reports to

the IWC Scientific Committee12. Independent on Sunday, 29 July 2001.

Whale population devastated by warming.Geoffrey Lean and Robert Mendick.

13. IWC Resolution 2001-7. Resolution onSouthern Hemisphere Minke Whales andSpecial Permit Whaling IWC/53/30

14. Kasuya, T. 1999. J. Cetacean Res.Manage. 1(1):81-100

15. Kinshiro, T & Kansuya, T. 1993. Rep. Int.Whal. Commmn 43:439-452

16. Red List of Japanese Mammals, 1997.Red Data Committee of theMammalogical Society of Japan.

17. Kasuya, T. 1992. Rep. Int. Whal. Commn45:521-528

18. 1990 IWC Resolution of the IWC on theJapanese Directed Take of Dall’s porpoise

19. IWC Resolution on the Directed Take ofStriped Dolphins in Drive Fisheries, 1992;IWC Resolution on the Directed Take ofStriped Dolphins, 1993.

20. Japan’s Senseless Slaughter, April 1999. Areport by the Environmental InvestigationAgency.

21. Report of the Standing Sub-Committee onSmall Cetaceans, IWC/53/4 Annex K.

22. IWC Resolution 2001-12. Resolution on Dall’s porpoise IWC/53/46

23. Assistant IWC Commissioner for Japan,Mr Komatsu, speaking on Australia’s Channel 9 news during the 52nd meeting of the IWC in Adelaide, Australia, 6 July, 2000.

24. IWC Commissioner for Japan, Mr Morimoto, speaking on South Africandocumentary program, Carte Blanche, 15 October, 2000

25. Mr Ishii, Futo fisherman, speaking onSouth African documentary program,Carte Blanche, 15th October, 2000.Report by Hardy Jones, Blue Voiceexecutive director (www.bluevoice.org)

26. Research whale DNA to be logged. TheJapan Times, November 10, 2000.

27. 3.3% of sold whale meats found to bebanned species. Kyodo News. December18, 2000.

28. Government of Japan whaling website:www.jfa.maff.go.jp/whale/index.htm

29. Letter from Professor Stephen Palumbi,Harvard University, to the Minister ofHealth & Welfare. October 1999.www.members.aol.com/geiniku/cons.html

30. Greenpeace Media Briefing, Melbourne -16th January 2002. Greenpeace ExposesMultimillion Price Tag.

References

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