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Undeterred by declining appetites for whale meat, and unfazed by global opposition to commercial hunts, Japan's whaling industry is doubling down. Earlier this month, a company unveiled a new "mother ship" at a port in the heart of the industry, declaring the investment the start of a bright new future.
On April 3, a crowd gathered in Shimonoseki City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, to celebrate the completion of the Kangei Maru, a 9,300-ton colossus built by Tokyo-based firm Kyodo Senpaku at a cost of 7.5 billion yen — just shy of 50 million dollars.
The vessel will replace Japan's only existing mother ship, the 30-year-old Nisshin Maru, and comes with a vast array of technological upgrades, as well as extra work and storage space. The "mother ship" designation refers to the process where smaller and more agile craft hunt the whales, then bring the carcasses to the bigger ship for freezing.
Rather than carving up the carcasses on deck, often in bad weather, the workers will now be able to perform their duties in the Kangei Maru's vast indoor space, ensuring a better standard of hygiene.
"The Kangei Maru is the first step toward passing on the 'offshore mother ship whaling' method forever," declared Kyodo Senpaku president Tokoro Hideki.
Japan whaling industry embarks on new era with cutting-edge 'mother ship' | NHK WORLD-JAPAN News
Despite record-low whale meat consumption and opposition from overseas, Japan's whaling industry is investing heavily in its future with the launch of a new 'mother ship.'
www3.nhk.or.jp
