Guest guest Posted May 15, 2000 Report Share Posted May 15, 2000 FROM WASHINGTON CITIZEN'S COASTAL ALLIANCE -------------------------------- Sekiu, WA: 8:20am PDT ODI vessels on-scene report no whaling activity this morning, even though the weather is perfect. Forecasted high temperature for the next several days is near 70, with no precipitation. ODI flagship 'Avocet' will remain on-scent to monitor the situation. We have a LOT of information for you below: please read each item, and follow through with the actions requested! Pay especially close attention to the " signing groups " of the Australian resolution, below... ***** FROM WORLD WHALE POLICE -------------------- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Saturday / May 13, 2000 WHALE POLICE GROUP CALLS FOR 'IMMEDIATE HALT' TO MAKAH WHALE HUNT NEAH BAY, WA - A whale monitoring organization is calling for an " immediate halt " to the hunt for gray whales here after a longtime whale researcher confirmed this week that the " majority " of migrant gray whales have passed, leaving only a few calves and cows and resident whales. As a result, Bill Moss and Julie Woodyer of the anti-whaling group World Whale Police are now questioning why National Marine Fisheries Service has not called a halt to the Makah gray whale hunt. " The odds are increasing that once this wave of calves and cows are past, the rest of the whales left in the Makah hunting area are residents, " confirmed Dr. Jim Darling of West Coast Whale Research in Vancouver, B.C. Dr. Darling has been studying gray whales of Vancouver Island for the past 20 years. The agreement between the Makah whalers and National Marine Fisheries Service prohibits the hunting of suckling calves, cows traveling with calves and resident gray whales. " We are calling for an immediate halt to this hunt, until researchers are able to determine the status of the migration and a detailed analysis of remaining whales is complete, " said Woodyer. Contact Information: World Whale Police Tel: (360) 963-0717 Cell: (416) 451-5976 (360) 561-7492 Dr. Jim Darling Tel: (250) 725-4426 ***** WORLD WHALE POLICE MAKAH GRAY WHALE HUNT ACTION ALERT !!! In discussions with various gray whale experts and whale watching companies along the Oregon, Washington and Vancouver Island coasts, we have been advised that the migration of the gray whales is 90% complete. This would leave primarily only suckling calves, females accompanied by calves and resident whales in the hunting area off the Makah reservation at Neah Bay, Washington. This in mind, it is curious why NMFS is not making any statements about the end of the migration or the restrictions on hunting the remaining whales. Please write, or call NMFS and ask the following questions: 1. What is the criteria for determining the " official " end of the gray whale migration off Washington State? 2. What are the NOAA representatives observing the hunt doing to ensure that the Makah are not targeting residents, suckling calves, females accompanied by calves or resident whales? (Which is prohibited in the agreement between the Makah whalers and NMFS) 3. Are the NOAA observing rep's checking the harpoon each time it is thrown to determine if there has been a strike to a whale? (The Management plan indicates that if the harpoon strikes a whale and falls out the permit is no longer valid) 4. What is the position of NMFS that the Makah are now saying publically that all whales are migratory and insinuating that there are no residents? Note: We have not seen any evidence that NMFS is evaluating any strikes or moving in as the harpoon is raised to determine if they are hunting babies. On a number of occasions the Makah have chased down and thrown a harpoon at whales that were smaller than the hunting canoe. Please contact Donna Wieting of the National Marine Fisheries Service at: HQTR Route: F/PR2 BLDG: SSMC3 RM: 13142 1315 EAST-WEST HWY SILVER SPRING MD 20910-3282 PH: (301) 713-2322 x108 FAX: (301) 713-0376 Internet Address: Donna.Wieting For further information please do not hesitate to contact us at: Julie Woodyer or Bill Moss Land line: (360) 963-0717 Cell: (360) 561-7492 Cell: (416) 451-5976 E-Mail: whalesavers ***** NOT A SURPRISE- THANKS, MAKAH! ----------------------- New Zealand researchers say gray whale meat sold in Japan - TOKYO, May 13 2000 Genetic scientists in New Zealand have found that meat of the gray whale, an internationally protected species, was sold at Japanese shops in 1999, according to a report obtained by Kyodo News Saturday. In the report, researchers at the University of Auckland determined the meat, which was sold as minke whale at shops in the towns of Taiji and Nachikatsuura in Wakayama Prefecture last August and October, was in reality gray whale. Concise story from Kyodo World Service 1999 Kyodo News © Established 1945 ***** FROM AUSTRALIANS FOR ANIMALS ------------------- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 15, 2000 AUSTRALIAN IWC NGO'S PRESENT AT AN IWC NGO MEETING IN CANBERRA HELD ON MAY 14, 2000 PASS RESOLUTION ON MAKAH HUNT The undersigned groups call upon the Australian delegation to the IWC to raise the following items at the upcoming IWC meeting in Adelaide, Australia: 1) Pursue the Makah Tribe's so-called " allocation " of gray whales, which was never authorized by the IWC. 2) Pursue the issue of the Makah Tribe's subsequent kill of a juvenile gray whale in 1999 by raising the issue at the Infractions Committee of the IWC. ON THE GROUNDS THAT:- -The killing is illegal under IWC rules -The Makah Tribe has not been recognised as an " aboriginal whaling " entity under the rules of the IWC. -The Makah Tribe is not a member nation of the IWC. We insist that Australia express its concern that the IWC definition of " aboriginal subsistence whaling " has not been recognised in terms of the Makah Tribe. We also request, on behalf of the undersigned groups, that the above resolution be fully tabled in the minutes and placed on the official record. SIGNED Project Jonah Greenpeace Animals Australia RSPCA Australians for Animals Whales Alive IFAW Wild Watch (Contact: Sue Arnold sarnold) ***** 'LETTER TO THE EDITOR' OF THE WEEK ------------------- PROTESTORS MIGHT SURPRISE YOU (North Kitsap Herald, May 3, 2000) " I recently traveled to Neah Bay to get an up-close look at all of these co called anti-whaling protestors who are creating so much trouble for the Makah Indian Tribe and United States Coast Guard. What I discovered was distinctly different than the societal discards the Seattle media would have us believe them to be. Eyeball to eyeball we met and talked about a myriad of topics including whales. I found a bunch of bright, articulate, fresh-faced, clean-cut youngsters who just happen to be passionate about whales and have the courage and strength to live out their convictions. What I already knew was that somewhere along the line most of us learn to be afraid of one thing or another. We generally embrace fear in the form of loss, lack of approval, isolation- real day-to-day stuff. And then this group of children appears on the scene, their lives intricately interwoven with love and hope, willing to put their bodies literally between a Makah harpoon and a whale to preserve a species capable of being driven into extinction. They do not require a whale to die to rekindle the flame of spirituality in their lives. They wish only to preserve it to live in harmony with the rest of us. God bless America. We are still producing idealistic and fiercely motivated kids who are superbly equipped to act fearlessly in the face of danger. Perhaps their bravery can help us extinguish our own fear and judgment. " Karen R. Haarstick, Suquamish ***** _______________ The simple way to read all your emails at ThatWeb http://www.thatweb.com _________ T O P I C A The Email You Want. http://www.topica.com/t/16 Newsletters, Tips and Discussions on Your Favorite Topics Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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