It is crucial that attempts by pro-whaling nations of the IWC to gerrymander the process by getting landlocked coutries to support them in the face of widespread opposition fail.
nuclear power, whaling, imperialist war, Trident...the things we fought in the 1970s and 1980s we fight today.
politics is endless struggle, green politics doubly so.
Whaling commission must stand firm on moratorium
25th May 2007
Attempts by pro-whaling nations to gerrymander the process must fail
The 59th meeting of the International Whaling Commission in Anchorage, Alaska, from May 28-31 must stand firm in the face of renewed attempts to weaken or scrap the moratorium on commercial whaling, the Green Party has said.
Dr. Derek Wall, Green Party Principal Speaker today spoke in advance of the meeting:
"Whaling is a premeditated, deliberate and unnecessary cause of animal suffering. It is not justified even if supposedly undertaken as 'scientific research' or 'subsistence hunting' rather than for commercial profit.
"It is crucial that attempts by pro-whaling nations of the IWC to gerrymander the process by getting landlocked coutries to support them in the face of widespread opposition fail.
"Whales and dolphins are facing increasing threats from man made climate change, due to changes in sea temperature, declining salinity because of melting ice and increased rainfall, and the loss of icy polar habitats.
"Combine this with the thousands killed every year - more than 2000 in 2006 alone - under the guise of 'scientific research', and it's obvious whales face a very bleak future.
"The IWC must work to strengthen protection given to whales, and fend off attempts by countries such as Japan to manipulate the commission.
"This is just one fight in the continuous battle to conserve our environment by protecting it from unscrupulous acts of savagery, selfishness and ignorance, perpertrated in the name of profit, cultural traditions or the mis-guided thrill of hunting for sport."
Dr Wall has previously criticised the UK government for 'bowing to Japan's economic muscle', in refusing to register various ships belonging to the anti-whaling and conservation group Sea Shepherd.
Sea Shepherd whaling campaign here....three cheers for the good Captain Paul Watson
6 comments:
Thank you for saying it like it should be said, all whaling should stopped. All whaling!
When will it end?
It is claimed that Japan’s fleet is part of a scientific whaling program that Tokyo says provides crucial data for the International Whaling Commission on populations, feeding habits and distribution of the mammals in the seas near Antarctica.
The hunts are allowed by the International Whaling Commission, but environmental groups the world over have long condemned the hunts as a pretext for keeping commercial whaling alive after the practice was banned by the IWC in 1986.
Journalists were being barred from the Tokyo wharf where the processing ship Nisshin Maru was expected to dock with its crew of 149. Aside from the deadly fire it was due back in port catch of 508 whales, this despite having to cut its annual hunt short after the accident.
Meanwhile on the west coast today we have reports that the US coast guard was harassing the resident orcas (only 87 left) off the coast of BC - U.S. ship fired at whales, say boat operators
http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/story.html?id=6eabc317-2697-4397-b0a3-2f4c5d6eba65&k=56720
Great post, Derek! I've added a direct link to it on the blogroll of IFAW's Song of the Whale blog: http://blog.stopwhaling.org/ . I hope you'll stop by and read about IFAW's recent "Save the Whales Plane Tour" :)
im your biggest fan man. Your right all whaling should be stopped its so cruel.
we should meet sometime hope we can stop whaling.
whaling is never going to stop despite how close we come to thinking that it will. Because some people will never stop having the desire to kill and destroy. Its in some mens nature to kill for no reason other than the desire. You can say what you like about this comment but I'm a Native American and I know that it will never stop its like a fire it can be stopped but sooner or later it will start up again.
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