Whaling

Humpbacks safe - for now

Posted by jossc — 2 January 2008 at 3:34pm - Comments

A majestic humpback whale off the coast of Tonga

The Japanese government has confirmed a rumour first reported at the Greenpeace weblog, that they've abandoned plans to kill humpback whales in the Southern Ocean this season.

The fact that no humpback whales will be hunted down and killed in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary this year is good news indeed, and a victory for Greenpeace supporters the world over who have joined with us in demanding action from their governments, participated in promoting non-lethal alternatives to whale research through our Great Whale Trail, and questioned the Japanese government directly about plans to expand the whale hunt through the building of a new whaling ship. (Oh, and all of you who told your friends to vote for Mister Splashy Pants in our whale-naming competition, you did your part too.)

Article tagged as: fin whale, humpback whale, japan, minke whale, oceans, Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary, whaling

On the trail of the humpbacks

Posted by jossc — 12 October 2007 at 12:45pm - Comments

A Humpback whale swims past the Cook Island whale research boat, enjoying the warm water and the protected reefs of Rarotonga (Cook Islands)

Greenpeace has linked up with two scientific research bodies, Cook Islands Whale Research and Opération Cétatés, to tag and track humpback whales as they migrate from their breeding and calving areas in the tropical South Pacific to the feeding grounds of the Southern Ocean.

Article tagged as: IWC, Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary, whaling

Iceland ends commercial whale hunt

Posted by jossc — 24 August 2007 at 5:28pm - Comments

Iceland's senseless resumption of commercial whaling has now been suspended

In a setback to the whaling industry worldwide, Iceland's fisheries minister has just announced he will not issue further commercial whale-hunting quotas.

Iceland announced last year a return to commercial whaling and a quota of 30 minke whales and nine fins. But with virtually no market in Iceland and fears of contamination making Japan unwilling to purchase North Atlantic whale meat, the hunt has been a disaster. Since its introduction last year, Icelandic whalers have killed only seven minkes and seven fin whales, haven't made public the results of contamination testing on the whale meat, and can't seem to convince anyone to buy their product.

Article tagged as: fin whale, iceland, IWC, minke whale, oceans, whaling

A good year for conservationists, but still not a great year for the whales

Posted by jossc — 1 June 2007 at 4:22pm - Comments

Greenpeace activists display whales and dolphins that have been drowned in nets and killed by ship strike with a banner messages reading 'ANOTHER 300,000 DEAD

Cetacean bycatch victims displayed in Berlin, Germany, last month

Well the last vote has finally been cast at this year's International Whaling Commission (IWC), all the results are in - and there's good news! Last year's St Kitts Declaration, an attempt by pro-whaling nations led by the Japanese government to restart commercial whaling, was decisively rejected. Anti-whaling countries have bounced back with a 37-4 vote for the CITES Resolution, which strengthens the commercial whaling ban.

Article tagged as: 59, cetaceans, IWC, japan, oceans, whaling

Fingers crossed - it's IWC 59!

Posted by jossc — 24 May 2007 at 10:38am - Comments

IWC 59: how the voting's going

It's time for us whale lovers to hold our breath and cross our fingers yet again as we watch developments at the 59th meeting of the International Whaling Commission, now underway in Anchorage, Alaska.

For the past few years the IWC, charged by the United Nations with protecting whales, has been the focus of serious lobbying by some whaling nations to allow a resumption of commercial whaling - suspended since 1986 following a dramatic decline in the number of great whales worldwide.

Article tagged as: 59, iceland, IWC, japan, oceans, whales, whaling

Esperanza bound for Japan to continue anti-whaling campaign

Posted by jossc — 10 March 2007 at 3:56pm - Comments

MY Esperanza arrives in Sydney, Australia

MY Esperanza arrives in Sydney, Australia

We're taking our anti-whaling campaign to Japan, where the government plans to increase its whaling activities despite opposition from two-thirds of the Japanese public.

Article tagged as: cetaceans, esperanza, japan, oceans, whaling

Endangered whales dumped in landfill site

Posted by jossc — 26 January 2007 at 2:17pm - Comments

A fin whal carcass rots at an Icelndic whaling stationNo sooner has Iceland granted permits for some of it's fisherman to resume commercial whaling than they discover, big surprise, what informed opinion has been telling them all along - namely that they would struggle to find any market for the meat.

Article tagged as: fin whale, iceland, oceans, whaling
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