While it is no secret that whale meat is available in the Japanese marketplace, the country claims to have been hunting whales for “scientific purposes”, as opposed to sushi-related purposes.
Recently however, five officials have been reprimanded for accepting up to 15 pounds of the illegal meat (estimated to be worth up to $840) from a private fishery firm that was contracted to conduct whaling.
The reports came amidst Greenpeace pressing Tokyo to investigate claims that whalers, politicians and officials have illegally taken meat from Japan’s tax-funded whaling projects in an embezzlement-like scheme.
The Japanese fisheries agency have warned officials not to accept whale meat as gifts from whalers amid the embezzlement allegations.
Shame.
[Image via AP Images.]