June 2009

 

In the past 22 years, since the International Whaling Commission mortatorium on whaling, an estimated number of nearly 33,000 whales have been killed. The number of whales killed has increased annually. From 2004 to this year, nearly 8,000 whales will have been slaughtered.

In 2008, the self-made whaling quotas from Japan ( 1,330*), Norway (1,052), and Iceland (70 Minke, 9 Fin) total over 2, 461 whales to be slaughtered. (Please note: More than that number will die, as whales that are wounded escape to die slowly, and will not be counted.) *Japan's quota includes 1070 Minke, 50 Bryde, 100 Sei*, 50 Fin* and 10 Sperm* whales, additionally 50 Humpback* whales (4 out of 6 of these species are listed as *Endangered.)

Would you be willing to give a few minutes of your time to take these
6 actions (below) needed immediately (by 22 June 2009) to help whales?
1) Protect the whaling ban, protect whales! (please click here)
On the 22 June 2009 over 80 governments will meet to decide the future of the world’s whales.
More than 25 years after the global ban on commercial whaling was passed, these intelligent mammals are in danger once more.
2) Act now to stop commercial whaling for good.
Please sign petition to the European Union and the US Government.
June 2009
3) Call to Action: Greenland threatens to kill 10 Humpback Whales each year.
4) 2009 CALL TO ACTION: Urge Obama to Stop Plan to Slaughter Whales
3 February 2009
"Iceland: Killing whales makes no economic sense" "...an annual quota of 100 minke whales and 150 (endangered) fin whales."

January 27, 2009
"Iceland raises quota for whale hunts" REYKJAVIK

9 February 2009, Iceland (AP) — Iceland raised it quota on whale hunting Tuesday to 250 a year, a dramatic increase over past levels

Sept. 10, 2008
INSIGHTS: Waving the White Flag on Whaling
"...Next week, representatives from 26 countries will gather in a secret, closed-door meeting at the Tradewinds Islands Grand Beach Resort in St. Pete Beach, Florida, to hear longtime presidential appointee Dr. William Hogarth push a Bush plan to overturn the global whaling ban and bow to Japanese demands for new whaling quotas."
Please click here to send an e-mail to the US Secretary of Commerce.

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• For WDCS daily reports from the IWC meetings June 2008 in Santiago Chile Click here.
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June 2008 "Iceland exports fin whale meat to Japan"
"...60 tons of (Endangered) fin whale meat has been exported to Japan from Iceland."

December 2007: "Japan drops humpback hunt"
"Suspension for a year or two, but no change in stance on 'research whaling'...Despite the suspension of the humpback hunt, Japan still plans to take as many as 935 minke whales and up to 50 (endangered) fin whales in the Antarctic in what the Fisheries Agency says is its largest-ever scientific whale hunt. Japan also takes more minkes in the northern Pacific later in the year."
May 2008
Take ACTION: "Iceland make their first whale kill"
Iceland’s whaling industry is facing a pivotal time in history. The Fisheries Minister said that he will not issue further quotas for commercial whaling until the market for whale meat improves. Together we can make Iceland sit up and take notice - let Iceland know that we will not rest until all whales around Iceland are protected forever from hunting.

http://www.wdcs.org.uk/story_details.php?select=52

"Help us to stop bloody whaling by signing on to the protest...(to the Japanese government)"
From Greenpeace:
Take Action>> "Tell the United States to do all it can to put pressure on Japan to stop whaling and save the whales."
Call on Denmark to oppose whaling
Denmark does not oppose the resumption of international trade in whale products and has voted in favour of commercial whaling, despite the opposition of the whole EU, many other governments around the world and the majority of Danish citizens. Together we can make Denmark sit up and take notice – call on them to stop putting the future of whales at risk.

(Quicktime 7 is required, click here for free download)

 

 To view "Join our anti-whaling campaign" video from WDCS (Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society), please click here
"Japan has long been accused of vote-buying and bribery at the International Whaling Commission. Already, through exploiting the loophole of ‘scientific research’, it has dramatically increased the number and species of whales it kills. Now, it wants to overturn the decades long ban on commercial whaling. Our offering this week uncovers just how it intends to do so. Made for ABC 4 Corners the documentary film, "Japan - Whale Wars" (please click here) also reveals how the farcical rules of the IWC are open to manipulation and abuse.

IFAW's anti-whaling TV advertisement:

Click here for The Humane Society of the United States report on IWC & CITES

Click here for CITES report
Reprieve for Whales

Click here for summaries and videos from the 59th Annual IWC meetings held May 2007 in Anchorage, Alaska
(May 11, 2006) From WDCS: "Japan hoping to boost whale meat sales".:
http://www.wdcs.org/dan/publishing.nsf/allweb/83F71F01C8A53C938025716B00327A61

Spring 2004 Global anti-whaling campaign launched:
With foreword by Sir David Attenborough, exposes the cruelty behind whaling.
A new report, 'Troubled Waters', is being released today to mark the launch of a global campaign against whaling. Key scientific and practical evidence is brought together for the first time to highlight the true extent of the cruelty inherent in the modern day killing of whales. More than 1,400 whales are expected to die this year alone. In his foreword, naturalist and broadcaster Sir David Attenborough describes how the report contains ".hard scientific evidence that there is no humane way to kill a whale at sea."
An unprecedented coalition of over 140 non-governmental organisations in more than 55 countries is taking part in the 'Whalewatch' campaign. It is lobbying the International Whaling Commission (IWC) to call a halt to all commercial and scientific whaling operations, maintain the current ban on commercial whaling and bring the issue of cruelty back to the fore.

Please click here for full report and action from WhaleWatch.org
 
 
 

2007 Whaling Quotas:

Japan: 725 Minke, 50 Bryde, 100 Sei, 3 Fin,10 Sperm. 50 Humpback whales. (4 out of 6 of these species are listed as Endangered.)
"To increase supplies of meat even further, the Japanese government recently legalised the killing and sale of whales entangled in fishing nets. Predictably, this led to a five-fold increase in 'accidental by-catch' in just six months." (source: WDCS)

Norway: 1052 Minke whales

Iceland: 39 Minke whales
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Website Design by Peggy Oki / Oki Design

The Curtain of Origami Whales and Children's Whale Art and Activism Campaign

(please click on the origami whales)

photo courtesy of Paul Wellman
Click Here to listen to the KCRW radio (31 May 2007) online report "The Global Politics of Whaling"

Would you like to receive e-mail alerts for actions regarding the topic of threats to whales & dolphins and their environment? If so, please contact Peggy Oki by clicking here, or on the "Contact" link above.

(The Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society, for information action whaling activities.)

26 June 2007 "Japan begins coastal whale slaughter"

"Japan under attack for inhumane Humpback (whale) deaths"

June 19, 2006 "AUSTRALIAN humpbacks face lingering deaths in the Japanese scientific hunt, where they will be harpooned with equipment little different from that used on much smaller minke whales...."

Please Click Here for information about the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society

"Operation Ragnarök:
Defending the Whales of Iceland 2007"
 

Wednesday, 1 November 2006

"Diplomats from 25 nations including Britain have delivered a letter of protest to Iceland's government over its resumption of commercial whaling."

Tuesday, September 16, 2003
"Icelandic whalers have killed a minke whale in a whale watching bay, just south of Reykjavik, despite promises from the Ministry of Fisheries that the whalers would steer clear of whale watching areas." (reported by the International Fund for Animal Welfare)

SAMPLE LETTER to the Ambassador of Japan:

Ambassador Ryozo Kato

2520 Massachusetts Avenue NW,
Washington, DC 20008

Tel: 202.238.6700
Fax: [1] (202) 328-2187

Honorable Ambassador of Japan, Ryozo Kato,

I am writing to urge Japan to stop all whaling activities.

In 1994, the International Whaling Commission (IWC) established the Southern Ocean Sanctuary specifically to prohibit commercial whaling in the waters surrounding Antarctica. However, in November 1999, Japanese whaling vessels set out on their annual hunt of 440 minke whales and called it "scientific research", thereby circumventing the law. This "scientific research" netted 2000 tons of whale meat that was sold in retail markets for millions of dollars.

Many expert Cetologists worldwide, have established the study of whales by non-lethal methods. Therefore "scientific research" by killing whales is not justifiable.

I urge Japan to halt all whaling. The hunting of whales is in direct violation of International Whaling Commission resolutions prohibiting whaling.

Please let me know what you intend to do on this vital issue.

Sincerely,

"Leave Endangered Whales Alone, U.S. Tells Japan"

WASHINGTON,

Monday, May 14, 2001 [Reuters]
 
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