近三分之二日本国民支持日本的捕鲸行动

mages such as this of a minke whale harpooned by the Japanese whaling ship Yushin Maru are being hailed as proof that whaling is "brutal and cruel".

据2008年2月8日法新社报道，二月初最新的一项调查显示，有近三分之二（65%）的日本国民支持日本继续捕鲸。56%的日本人支持食用鲸鱼肉。在年纪较大的日本人中这一支持率更为惊人，有80%年龄介于40~70岁之间的日本人支持捕鲸和食用鲸肉。年轻人的数据恰好相反。在20多岁的日本年轻女性中，有58%反对食用鲸鱼肉。

The Asahi Shimbun said 65 percent of Japanese support continuing the whaling programme and that 56 percent of people backed eating whale meat.

Support for whaling was strong among older men, with close to 80 percent of men between 40 and 70 favouring eating whale meat.

But the the figure was nearly reversed among Japanese women in their 20s, among whom 58 percent opposed eating whale.