antiwhaling update

[Guest guest]

===== A message from the 'makahwhaling' discussion list =====

 

FROM WASHINGTON CITIZEN'S COASTAL ALLIANCE

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Sekiu, WA: 10:15am PDT

 

MR. NADER, WE ARE WATCHING- AND WAITING

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ONCE MORE! If you haven't done it already, be sure to send your e-mail to

Ralph Nader regarding Winona LaDuke's statement in support of whale-killing.

Do it TODAY! Please take a few moments to write Mr. Nader, and send your

e-mail to nader2000

 

For more information, please visit www.stopwhalekill.org, and by all means,

feel free to forward us your letters or any responses you receive. (Our

e-mail address: wcca) We fully expect (and demand) that Mr. Nader

and the Green Party USA address this issue. How can one support a political

party and its candidates if the party is unable- or unwilling- to address an

issue that is important to YOU?

*****

 

 

 

JAPANESE WHALE-KILLING BEGINS

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August 11

U.S. Newswire

 

The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), the nation's largest

animal protection organization with more than 7.3 million members and

constituents, condemns Japan for killing a Bryde's whale and continuing

with an expanded hunt to target not only minke whales but Bryde's and

endangered sperm whales despite threats of trade sanctions from the

U.S. and appeals from world leaders and environmental groups.

 

The HSUS is calling on President Clinton to enforce these threats and not

let Japan continue to kill these whales for " scientific " purposes that can

be pursued through non-lethal means. For years, the Japanese have been

hunting minke whales under the guise of scientific research despite the

International Whaling Commission's (IWC) repeated condemnation, and now

Japan has taken its disregard for the whales one step further. On Aug. 3,

The HSUS sent President Clinton a letter urging him to impose trade

sanctions against Japan under the Pelly Amendment, because the country's

refusal to abandon the expansion of its scientific whaling program

undermines the international treaty that regulates whale management. Now

that the Japanese press reports that the whaling fleet has been successful

in killing a Bryde's whale, it is imperative that the U.S. follow through on

its threats.

 

" They stepped over the line when they killed this Bryde's whale, " said Dr.

Naomi Rose, HSUS Marine Mammal Scientist. " Japan exploits the IWC's loophole

on hunting for scientific purposes, and now the U.S. must follow through on

trade sanctions or Japan will rightfully ignore the U.S. and its empty

threats in the future, " she said.

 

It is reported that six Japanese whaling ships are targeting 100 minke, 50

Bryde's and 10 sperm whales for this hunt. The sperm whale is protected

under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. The Bryde's whale, while not on the

endangered species list, is recognized as a species in need of protection,

particularly under international trade regulations.

 

" The population status of the Bryde's whale is unknown, " Rose said. " No

country should be hunting a species when its status is unknown. That's an

out-dated and dangerous conservation practice. " Media Note: Copies of the

letter to President Clinton are available on the HSUS web site at

www.hsus.org or from the media contacts listed.

*****

 

 

 

FROM SUSAN AT WWW.STOPWHALEKILL.ORG

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Last week, I wrote a sidebar essay on why this

Japanese whale hunt is relevant to those of us

opposed to the U.S./Makah whale hunt.

 

I hope this also explains why all of us -- each

of you -- must sent letters urging our

governments to follow through on the threat of

economic sanctions. You'll find addresses, phone

numbers, e-mail addresses, and fax numbers in the

Japan whale kill section.

 

Japan's August 2000 escalation of its whaling is

in step with its master plan to overtake the IWC

within three years. Norway has joined the

strategic escalation by extending its whaling

season (ABC News, August 1, 2000 story). Japan

and Norway have actively aided the Makah hunt,

dating back to the early 1990s, in order to add

to the " hue and cry " for whaling rights around

the world.

 

The IWC intersessionary group that meets February

2001 in Japan will finalize the Revised

Management Scheme (RMS) that restores commercial

whaling, with restrictions that will be

unenforceable and as laughable as the weak U.S.

management plan for the Makah hunt, which the

Ninth Circuit found wholly inadequate in June

2000.

 

Timing: Since early July, as I watched events

unfold in Adelaide, I have predicted that,

because the atmosphere would be inappropriate at

the next IWC meeting July 2001 in an anti-whaling

nation, the United Kingdom, Japan and Norway will

set up the restoration of commercial whaling for

the July 2002 meeting to be held that year in

Japan.

 

I predict that you can expect fireworks and

revelry at that July 2002 IWC meeting when Japan

and its cohort Norway eviscerate the IWC

moratorium on whaling.

 

We have little time left to stop the restoration

of commercial whaling. I predict we will fail

unless the U.S. exerts sufficient pressure on the

Japanese.

 

The U.S.'s stand against whaling has been

undermined by the restoration of whaling in U.S.

waters, off Washington state's coast in a

national marine sanctuary. Further, the U.S.

failed to obtain legal approval of the IWC and

has never met the IWC's strict guidelines on

subsistance hunting requirements.

 

Note: Both the Makah whale hunt and the Japanese

" scientific " hunts have been condemned in

non-binding resolutions voted upon by members of

the IWC.

 

The U.S. needs to restore its moral authority by

abandoning the unnecessary and precedent-setting

Makah whale hunt, and to use all the pressure it

can muster to stop Japan's illegal and equally

unnecessary whale hunts.

 

This is a time when we need leaders with vision

and courage. Keep those letters coming!

 

We can, and should, honor our leaders for

speaking out against the Japanese hunt. You can

help give them the impetus to act by flooding

their mail boxes with your messages of opposition to whaling.

*****

 

 

 

HERE'S WHAT YOU CAN DO!

--

 

Write a letter to Mr Mineta, the new Secretary of Commerce! His e-mail

address is NMineta

Here's a great example of how to word your letter:

 

Dear Mr. Mineta,

 

I urge you not to wait until October to impose sanctions on Japan for

their illegal and immoral " scientific " whale hunts.

The United States has to stand up NOW against this travesty. If we do

not, the Japanese Government will say the United States

is giving them the OK to hunt in all waters, and all interested whaling

groups and countries will have " carte blanche " to do so. Do you want

this generation and future generations see the water around the United

States and around the World bloodied with the slaughter of whales?

I sincerely hope not.

 

Thank you,

 

(Your name)

(address)

(phone Number)

(email address)

*****

 

 

 

ANTI-WHALING ARTWORK

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We invite you all to visit http://www.bchostnet.com/artagainstwhaling/,

where you will be some outstanding anti-whaling art.

 

The artist is Chris Johnson aka Ice Bear. Chris is a full status Chippewa

Indian, originally from Ontario, but now living and working in British

Columbia. Over the past few years, he has conducted a considerable amount of

research in the field of ocean science in preparation for his last public

artwork (The Year of the Ocean) and for other works underway with ocean

related themes.

*****

 

 

 

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

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" Remaining silent about the destruction of nature is an endorsement of that

destruction. "

 

Edward Abbey

*****