Current affairs: Fishy business

As a menber of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, I would like to raise the awareness of the cruelty of whaling in Japan. Why am I posting this issue at a public forum? The reason is simple: Whaling is on the rise in Japan as whales have long been a source of food, oil, and crafts' material and more were killed for them each day.
Japan began scientific research hunts to provide a basis for the resumption of sustainable whaling. The number of whales caught under the project is considerably lower than the number caught under the commercial catch. The IWC Scientific Committee collects up to date data on catch limits and catches taken since 1985. Numbers have ranged from less than 200 in 1985 to close to 1,000 in 2007.The research is conducted by the Institute of Cetacean Research (ICR), a privately-owned, non-profit institution. The institute receives its funding from government subsidies and Kyodo Senpaku, which handles processing and marketing of byproducts such as whale meat. Japan carries out its research in two areas: the North-West Pacific Ocean (JARPN II) and the Antarctic Ocean (JARPA) Southern Hemisphere catch. The 2007/08 JARPA mission had a quota of 900 minke whales and 50 fin whales.
Major discoveries claimed by JARPA 1 include: finding the population structure of mink whales in the Antarctic is healthy; detecting change in the ecosystem of the Antarctic Ocean; finding "very low level" of contaminants in minke whales.
As consumption of fish in Japan has shrunk, Japanese fisheries companies have expanded abroad and started facing pressure from partners and environmental groups. Five large fishing companies transferred their whaling fleet shares to public interest corporations in 2006. In 2007, Kokuyo and Maruha, two of Japan's four largest fishing companies, decided to end their sales of whale meat due to pressure from partners and environmental groups in the US.
Anti-whaling governments and groups have strongly opposed Japan's research program. Greenpeace argues that whales are endangered and must be protected. The Japanese government maintains that certain populations are strong enough to sustain a managed hunt. The latest IWC estimate for put the Southern Hemisphere Minke whale population at 761,000 (510,000 - 1,140,000 in the 95% confidence estimate).
In my own opinion, I do think that whaling is cruel and I think that adequate amount of whaling is still suitable for the consumption of whale meat. If overwhaling occurs, it should be stopped immediately and the fishing companies should whale less so that the whale population can be restored. If nothing is done to stop overwhaling, many species of whales may extinct and vanish, only leaving behind the bones.