Japan vows to fight for resumption of commercial whaling
On the last day of the 2005 International Whaling Commission (IWC) meeting, Greenpeace sounded the alarm over the future of the world's whales. Despite the pro-whaling countries failing to win key votes to increase whaling at this years meeting, the Japanese Government has announced it will press ahead and double its hunt in Antarctic waters. This coming December, they plan to hunt nearly a thousand whales, including the endangered fin whale in so-called 'scientific' whaling.
This year the International Whaling Commission (IWC) is meeting in South Korea. South Korea has a history of whaling and its waters are an important habitat for the Korean Gray Whale, one of the most critically endangered whale populations in the world.
Greenpeace is concerned that as human activities continue to degrade the world's oceans, species and populations of cetaceans (whales, dolphins and porpoises) are under increasing threat.
With dramatic timing a planned whale and dolphin meat processing factory due to be built in the host city of this years International Whaling Commission (IWC) has been shelved. The decision, reported in the South Korean publication The Hankyoreh comes just days before this years IWC negotiations on conserving whale stocks begins.
One of the oldest and least explored habitats on Earth is due to be explored by Greenpeace and the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS).
The Mingulay coral reef complex lies off the west of Scotland in about 150 metres of water and, despite the fact that it may have existed for thousands of years, scientists know little about it or the wildlife it supports.
Secret plans by the South Korean Government to build a whale and dolphin meat processing factory, despite an international ban on whaling, have been exposed today (7 April) by Greenpeace.
The factory is planned to be built in the very city that will host this year's meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC), the body set up to halt the loss of whale populations. Historically known as the 'City of Whales', the south-east port of Ulsan will host the IWC meeting in June.
