Meat from these animals is used to make exotic dog treats

May 30, 2013 07:01 GMT  ·  By

There's one thing Sea Shepherd got wrong: Japan's environmental crimes are not just about this country's decision to keep hunting whales for so-called researcher purposes.

Quite the contrary, Japan is very much interested in using these animals' meat for both human and animal consumption.

Recent news says that this country's upper classes love their pet dogs so much that they do not shy away from feeding them treats made from fin whales meat.

This species is currently listed as an endangered one, which is why conservationists were outraged to hear that people would even think about killing them just to make luxury dog treats.

The Examiner reports that Michinoku Farms, the company marketing these dog treats, maintains that this particular product packs few calories, has a low fat content and is highly rich in proteins.

In other words: it is sure to meet a dog's daily nutrients demand without putting the animal at risk of getting a tad plumper than it is supposed to be or developing some medical condition having to do with an improper diet.

While Michinoku Farms says that it all comes down to making sure that family dogs in Japan are healthy and happy, conservationists and animal rights activists are fairly convinced that the entire business boils down to some people's desire to show off their wealth.

In fact, Iruka & Kujira Action Network, a green-oriented group whose work revolves around protecting these marine mammals and promoting conservation, has stated as follows:

“The most likely reason for shops to sell the whale meat dog treat is to target affluent Japanese who want to show off their wealth with something different.”

By the looks of it, the fin whales killed in order to make the dog treats sold to rich people in Japan are all of an Icelandic origin.

Apart from marketing dog treats made from whale meat, Michinoku Farms sells similar products made from horse, ostrich and several other mammals.