Guest guest Posted July 18, 2005 Report Share Posted July 18, 2005 Sat, 16 Jul 2005 17:04:06 IST Hello Shubho, It i just a vicious cycle of governments anting to optimise every industry possible and industries wanting to maximise profits....in all this the sounds of the innocents are obviously smothered. The sad bit is people are waking too late. Already tigers are dwindling, pandas don't have much habitat left...and there isn't enough that we all can do. But yes...we have to keep at it. I might be coming in December for a holiday. It would be great if we could meet up then. What are you doing these days? Do write. Cheers...Sri. --- Ghosh <shubhobrotoghosh wrote: > Dear Sridevi, > Thank you for your message; I concur > with your views. The Japanese say it is their > 'culture' to kill whales and outsiders should not > threaten them with their ethical standards. I am > somewhat at a loss to know what great culture > consists of making seas blood red with the gore of > dolphins and whales. It is like saying Indian > culture is sacrificing goats in temples and Islamic > culture is to plant bombs in tubes. Just to think > this argument comes from a country that has > experienced the horrors of having two nuclear bombs > taking three hundred thousand innocent lives! When > do you come to India next? > Best wishes and kind regards, > > Yours sincerely, > > > > > On Fri, 15 Jul 2005 Sridevi Nair wrote : > >Hello Shubo, > >This is a small but significant victory. Japan like > >few other countries continued whaling under the > name > >of research. Most NGOs claim that though the > >consumption of whale meat has gone down in some > >countries, the killing hasn't. > >Anyways there is always a start...Cheers Sri. > > > > > > > >--- Ghosh > ><shubhobrotoghosh wrote: > > > > > Dear colleagues, > > > I have now been part of the > > > antiwhaling campaign for years and had an > > > opportunity to discuss the issue at Singapore > > > recently. I had posted a message on this list > > > previously for a signature campaign against > Japan's > > > proposal to continue whaling. I have just > received > > > news from the International Whaling Commission > that > > > Japan's proposal was defeated in Ulsan. Of > course, > > > the Japanese have made it clear that they are > not > > > giving up the fight and will bring up the issue > > > again. Good luck to them I say but for the time > > > being we have won a significant battle although > the > > > war continues to stop this ghastly carnage of > these > > > gentle creatures. They do us no harm.They wish > us > > > none, and the Japanese will be forced to just > leave > > > them alone. Trust everybody is well. > > > Best wishes, > > > > > > Yours sincerely, > > > > > > > > > Reports from the International Whaling > Commission > > > (IWC) by Dr Paul Spong, Orcalab, Canada. > > > > > > IWC 2005 wrapup > > > > > > All IWC (International Whaling Commission) > meetings > > > of recent years have been vital to the future of > > > whales, but perhaps none has been more so than > this > > > year's 2005 meeting in Ulsan, South Korea. > > > > > > Primarily at issue, joined to the question of > which > > > faction (pro or anti whaling) would control a > > > majority, was the future of " scientific > whaling " . > > > This dubious practice, sanctioned by a loophole > in > > > the 1946 convention which established the IWC, > > > allows contracting governments to kill whales > for > > > scientific research purposes. After the data are > > > obtained, the products can be sold. There is no > > > limit to the numbers. If Japan had controlled > the > > > majority, there would no longer be any > impediment to > > > expanding its " research " to the point where > > > supermarket shelves in Japan could be crammed > with > > > whale products priced for mass consumers, and > all > > > Japanese school children could be fed whale meat > > > lunches at no cost. > > > > > > As things turned out, Japan did not control the > > > majority in Ulsan. Once again, its " science " was > > > rejected as either irrelevant or inadequate, > > > certainly not necessary to understanding the > dire > > > situation faced by whale species and populations > The > > > commission's Scientific Committee refused to > grant > > > its approval to Japan's JARPA II (Antarctic > > > research) proposal, which calls for a doubling > of > > > the numbers of minke whales killed in the > Antarctic > > > Sanctuary, and adding humpback and fin whales to > the > > > growing list of species killed in the name of > > > Science. > > > > > > In a sense, when it voted 30-27 in support of an > > > Australian resolution opposing JARPA II, the > > > Commission was simply following the > recommendation > > > of many of its scientists in rejecting Japan's > > > outrageous proposal. But beyond that, it > > > demonstrated that real will to protect whales > still > > > exists in the world community. This has to be > taken > > > as encouragement to those of us who believe that > the > > > fate of whales is tied to the fate of our > planet. > > > > > > Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Germany, New > Zealand > > > and the U.K., backed up by Austria, Belgium, > Monaco > > > and the Netherlands, fought valiantly for whales > at > > > Ulsan, and deserve our heartfelt thanks. > > > > > > Japan's defeat on the issue of " scientific " > whaling > > > was linked to defeats of its attempts to control > the > > > agenda of the meeting (eliminating items such as > > > conservation and sanctuaries), overturn the > > > moratorium, and restart commercial whaling in > > > Japan's coastal waters. The margin on each vote > was > > > small, but Japan's loss at IWC 2005 was real. > > > > > > However, this is no time for complacency. Japan > is > > > virtually certain to ignore the votes against > it, > > > and continue its commerce-disguised-as-science > > > slaughter on the high seas. > > > > > > Moreover, despite the result on this occasion, > Japan > > > made its continuing determination to achieve > victory > > > at the IWC clear, stating bluntly: " Our side's > > > supporters are about to win the majority soon?> the > > > reversal of history, the turning point, is soon > to > > > come. " > > > > > > This comment, by the Deputy Director of Japan's > > > Fisheries Agency, sent a chill through the > spines of > > > observers who recall Japan's past nationalistic > > > ambitions, and made it quite clear that the > issues > > > being debated in the IWC run far deeper than > surface > > > arguments over science, conservation, and > ethics. > > > Literally, what is at stake here is the ability > of > > > single nations to plunder the common resources > of > > > our planet at will, regardless of the opinions > of > > > others, and thoughtless of our collective > future. > > > > > > Save the whales - save the Earth. > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.