SIXTY-five per cent of Japanese support their country's "scientific" whale hunt, according to a Japanese poll - which was immediately attacked as misleading.
Leading national Japanese newspaper Asahi Shimbun published the telephone poll of 2082 people on whaling as the slaughter continued to attract massive anger in Australia.
The poll, which insisted on calling the whaling "scientific", found 65 per cent supported the hunt and that older men were the biggest backers.
Japan stands accused of using science as a mask for hunting whales for commercial purposes.
Almost 80 per cent of men aged between 40 and 70 years of age also agreed with eating whale meat.
Conducted last week, the poll asked whether they agreed with Japan's scientific whaling program and whether they agreed with eating whale meat.
The survey did not ask participants if they ate whale themselves.
However, for women aged in their 20s, almost 60 per cent who took part in the poll opposed eating whale meat.
Greenpeace Asia-Pacific CEO Steve Shallhorn criticised the wording of the Asahi Shimbun survey.
"Asking people whether they agree with scientific whaling is much different than asking if they agree with commercial whaling," Mr Shallhorn said.
"To ask people about scientific whaling is buying into the big lie about the Japanese whaling program -- that it is, in fact, commercial".
The results appear to contradict those of a Greenpeace survey in 2006 showing only 43 per cent of Japanese support "whaling in the High Seas", that is outside Japanese waters.
The Daily Telegraph/Today show petition opposing the whale hunt continued to attract record numbers yesterday after shocking images of a harpooned whale and calf were revealed on Thursday. More than 114,000 people have signed the petition, which will soon be delivered to the Japanese Democratic Party.
And in the clearest sign yet that the whaling issue has affected diplomatic relations between Japan and Australia, the Japanese Minister for Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Masatoshi Wakabayashi yesterday said he was disappointed with an "emotional" response from members of the Australian Government to the release of the whale hunt photos from an Australian Government surveillance ship.
"In addition to the release of photographs, very emotional comments were made," Mr Wakabayashi said.
He urged the Australian government to remain calm and to resolve the problem through diplomatic channels.
Australian Environment Minister Peter Garrett had said he felt sick at the sight of the graphic photos on Thursday, "as well as a sense of sadness".
* NORWAY - another whaling nation - yesterday revealed it has set its whaling quota for 2008 at 1052 minke whales.
Norway's Fisheries Ministry said 900 whales would be allowed to be caught in coastal areas including the North Sea, Barents Sea and the area near Svalbard.
http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,23183749-5006003,00.html
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