The Japanese claim this use prevents waste and that the money made goes back into the research program, but there is no denying that whale meat is a luxury in Japan and sells for a very lucrative price. Assumptions Minke and Bryde's whales are not considered endangered, and sperm whale numbers seem stable. However, the models used to establish whale population sizes and to set quotas for the number of whales that can be killed and still allow a population to remain stable, or even grow, are based on numerous assumptions. Several of the models' key assumptions simply cannot be tested empirically because of the difficulty in studying whales. The effects of over-harvesting on the basis of overly optimistic population estimates and quotas won't be noticed for years, even decades.
Whales eat a huge amount of fish etc., and the balance of the ecosystem is collapsing.
The new research will seek to support this hypothesis. However, this hypothesis is set to be refuted by the U.S. IWC delegation at this year's meeting, in a paper that demonstrates the lack of scientific logic behind or evidence for such a simplistic claim. What You Can Do Give the U.S. Commissioner to the IWC, Rolland Schmitten, a pat on the back for opposing the Japan plan.