The following is a message from Naoko Funahashi, a Japanese whale conservationist who has campaigned for 20 years to stop whaling.

I'm working on whale conservation more than 20 years in Japan, and appreciate your concern about respect culture and the message not being anti-Japanese.  Sometimes, messages from overseas hurt more than help our campaign.Knowing your intention is not like that, I like to point out that many (most) Japanese feel it is unfair that Western people force Japanese not to eat something because they like them. They don't see whales are not same as cows and pigs (or sheep) as they are wild animal, don't see whale as mammal so not breed fast like most fishes.Still many see it is not worth to eat whale as international society against.  So, I hope your voice is heard by some people in Japan.  I copy this to my colleague in IFAW Australia, we are working hard to stop Japanese whaling as well.   ---Naoko Funahashi, Japan

Message from Peter Perano, Ex-Whaler

"Now the old whalers are keen whale conservationists and they abhor scientific whaling. There are other ways to get scientific evidence without destroying the animal. It seems unusual that the stocks of Australian Whales are increasing at approximately 12% per annum and the New Zealand stocks have decreased at that level. It apprears that there are more lone juvenile whales compared to the usual stocks. That's our observation"

----By Peter Perano, an ex-whaler now helping the whales from the Tory Channel, New Zealand. Whale Survey August 2008

Message from Joe Heberley ex-whaler Tory Channel, NZ

"We are a group of ex-whalers and now conservationists on the Whale Research Survey. Times have changed.  There is no longer enough whales to support an industry. We know what's going on down in the Antarctic waters. Why should the Japanese be doing it? We are a group of ex-whalers trying to save the whales. The whales are a threatened species now.We are dead against scientific whaling in the southern ocean."----By Joe Heberley ex-whaler Tory Channel, New Zealand

Message from Ron Perano ex-whaler Tory Channel, NZ

"Japanese scientific whaling is just an excuse for them to take whales in the southern ocean. I am totally against it. There is just not enough whales."----By Ron Perano ex-whaler Tory Channel, New Zealand

Message to the Young Japanese Whalers

from Jo-Anne Crawford friends of Tangaroa

"Greetings.  At what price can you put on your job? Please consider and think about what you are doing. Think of us. Think of us in New Zealand. We love the whale. It's close to our hearts. Please don't harm it. Please don't kill it. When you travel outside of Japan's waters; it is not "just a Job" because you are impacting on a global scale.Please stop whaling and put your hands across the waters for peace and consider us."----By Jo-Anne Crawford, New Zealand