A mother whale and its baby killed by Japanese explosive harpoons are hauled aboard a Japanese whale factory ship in waters to the south of Australia. Japanese "scientific" whaling is the most divisive bilateral issue between Australia and Japan.
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As can be seen in the Youtube (above) after being shot by a Japanese harpoon it takes a long time for the whale to die (in pain). Whale killing is seen as "cultural" in Japan - a bit like regular Japanese killing of Dolphins. The cultural differences between Japan and Australia may be the biggest obstacle to buying the Super Soryu.
---As indicated in Submarine Mattersarticle of December 6, 2015 Prime Minister Turnbull is making a short visit to Japan around December 18, 2015. The major talks are likely to be on Japan’s submarine bid. Japan’s resumption of whaling in waters south of Australia are also likely to be discussed (see Australia Threatens Legal Action over Japanese whaling).
It is not helpful to Japan’s submarine bid that Japan’s traditional-emotional need to kill whales is matched by Australia and other responsible nations' environmental-humitarian need to save whales. Turnbull is a centrist politician sympathetic to anti-whaling causes.
If Japanese did not eat whale meat would Japan be interested in sailing a whaling fleet half way round the world to kill whales for “scientific" purposes?
Cameron Stewart, The Australian, December 10, 2015 http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/defence/dont-let-whaling-rock-submarine-negotiations-says-japan/news-story/ac1f41696ae19605ac4595afe00d8eddreports:
“Don’t let whaling rock submarine negotiations, says Japan
Japan has called on Australia not to allow anger over the resumption of Japanese whaling in the Southern Ocean to undermine Tokyo’s bid for a $20 billion submarine contract.
Foreign Minister Julie Bishop this week described Japan’s decision to resume whaling as “deeply disappointing”, and Malcolm Turnbull is expected to raise the issue with his Japanese counterpart, Shinzo Abe, when he visits Japan later this month.
The row over whaling comes at a time when Japan is lobbying hard to persuade the government to choose it as the winner of a three-nation competition to build the new fleet of submarines.
One of Japan’s most senior diplomats, Toshiro Iijima [2013 bio details], the head of international security with Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs [MOFA], yesterday urged the Australian government to keep the two issues separate. “We are of the view that this difference in opinion (over whaling) should not have a negative impact of the entire, very good and excellent, relationship between Japan and Australian,” Mr Iijima said in an exclusive interview in Brisbane.
“I think the judgment of the Australian side (on submarines) should be from the strategic viewpoint or the financial viewpoint or the technical viewpoint. I don’t think the final decision would be politicised (with) whaling. Those two things are separate issues.”…” See WHOLE ARTICLE IN THE AUSTRALIAN
Pete