I simply think that we can eat whales if it is not facing extinction. Eating whale is part of our culture, so we shold protect them to keep eating whales. This is my basic position. Personally, I don't care much for whale's meat partly because I ate badly cooked whale's meat in school provided launch almost every week. I don't think a lot of Japanese like the meat, neither. So conservationists don't have to worry much if the commercial hunting resumes. It's not a kind of meat which could grab a large market in Japan. (And you should remember the biggest reason to decrease the number of whales rapidly is the commercial hunting by western countries to get whale oil.)

Besides, the overpopulation of whales could break down the balance of ecosystem which was beneficial for human-being. Some reports say that the drastically increased whales eating too much small fish led to the decrease of fish haul in the northern sea area of Japan. If the report is true, restricted commercial hunting should be allowed to cull the number of whales to optimal level, if not full scale lifting of the ban.

Actually I am not so interested in the whale issue,(as I said, I don't like the taste of the meat), so it would be all right for me that Japan be flexible if others don't like the hunting, but conservationist should think twice about whether it's a right thing or not to impose their cultural value on others who don't share their belief. There is not such a thing of universal right of whales. If so, Indian people can claim the right of cows and lobby the ban to eat beef. :)