The oceans cover 70% of the planet and NAMMCO provides an essential forum for unrestricted discussion of the interrelationship between humans and marine mammals.
I still remember the taste of hard-to-swallow fried whale meat served in Japanese school lunches. I have no nostalgia for it, but when I come across news that “Japan is doing it again” — committing supposed whale-hunting atrocities — the taste comes back.
The most important consideration for our aquarium is to maintain a balance in our work. That includes finding a balance between the promotion of research concerning breeding these marine animals and ensuring continuation of the productive triangular relationship — the government(Fisheries Agency), fishermen, and aquariums. We firmly believe that is what our aquarium is all about.
Breeding killer whales in Japan seems difficult as the blood relationships among them are quite close. Kamogawa Sea World is now exploring a new way to artificially inseminate sperm imported from an overseas aquariums in order to take advantage of the precious opportunity to increase their population—and help visitors communicate with such a large marine species.