If
you think whales have been saved, think again…
Despite the worldwide moratorium on commercial whaling, Japanese fisherman
kill over 500 whales and 30,000 dolphins and porpoises per year and
sells them for profit in their fish markets.
|
 |
This
year, Japan has increased its catches of whales to include two additional
species of whales, endangered sperm whales and Bryde's (pronounced
Bru-dis) whales. In May 2000, Japan announced that, along with its
self-allocated annual kill of 540 minke whales, it proposed to catch
50 Bryde's whales and 10 sperm whales in a move that was described
by UK Fisheries Minister Elliot Morley as "a blatant act of defiance
of international opinion", deserving "widespread international condemnation".
|
President Clinton had this to say, "Japan's decision last week to
begin killing two more protected species of whales demands the strongest
possible response from the world community. In September 2000, Japan's
whaling fleet returned to port from the North Pacific having caught
43 Bryde's whales, 5 sperm whales and 40 minke whales. In November
2000 the fleet set out to hunt for minke whales in an area that has
been declared by the IWC as the Southern Ocean Sanctuary. The fleet
recently returned to port this April having killed an additional 440
minke whales. |
|
Since
1986, commercial whaling has been banned by the International Whaling
Commission (IWC), the international body set up in 1946 to regulate
whaling. Using a clause in the whaling Convention that allows member
nations to issue themselves special permits for whaling for 'scientific
purposes', Japan has defied the IWC decision and caught over four
thousand minke whales in the last 12 years. Norway has also defied
the IWC killing over 600 minke whales per year as well. The IWC
has consistently and repeatedly issued Resolutions criticizing the
Japanese Scientific Whaling Programme, and asking Japan to stop.
Japan has ignored these criticisms and continued. Japan carries
out most of its Scientific Whaling in the Antarctic's Southern Ocean
Sanctuary, which was designated by the IWC in 1994 as an area in
which no whale hunting should take place.
|
|
|
|
The
IWC does not need information obtained by killing whales and has
stated that Japan's scientific whaling data is "not required for
management". Trade in the meat of these whales caught under 'scientific
permit' provides a 'cover' for the sale of protected species of
whales in Japan. Recent DNA analyses of whale meat on sale in Japanese
markets have found meat from gray, humpback, fin, Bryde's, sperm
and sei whales selling for over $200 per pound making the killing
of whales a big business indeed. Japan's so-called "scientific research"
is a guise and is not about science but is about greed.
|
Australian Environment Minister Robert Hill has stated that: 'The
coincidence of whales ending up in the fish shops in Tokyo would lead
some to believe that there were perhaps at least some other motives
than just scientific enlightenment …I think that most people accept
that Japanese wish to hunt whales for commercial purposes and utilize
the scientific provision in the convention as a loophole."
|
|
A
recent MORI poll of the attitude of the Japanese public towards
whaling revealed that of the people questioned, only about ten percent
supported whaling. The survey found that virtually nobody thought
Japan's cultural identity would suffer if whaling were to stop.
Significantly, however, of those who did support whaling, only one
in five were prepared to see whaling continue in the face of damage
it may cause to Japan's reputation and economy. These results suggest
that the whaling policy of the Japanese Government would not necessarily
be supported by public opinion.
|
|
Its time to stop whaling now, before its too late!
Its time to save the whales again!!!
Here's what you can do:
1. Write, e-mail, or call President Bush and let him know that you
want the US to stop Japanese whaling now by withholding support for
Japan's seat on the United Nation's Security Council until Japan ends
their scientific whaling program.
White House Comment Line: (202) 456-2461
White House Fax Line: (202) 456-2461
President Bush's e-mail address: president@whitehouse.gov
President Bush's mailing address:
President George W. Bush
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
Washington, DC 20500
2. Write or call your US Congressman and Senators and let them know
that you want the US to stop Japanese whaling now by withholding support
for Japan's seat on the United Nation's Security Council until Japan
ends their scientific whaling program.
US Capitol Switchboard: (202) 224-3121 |
Join The Whaleman Foundation
|
