whaling

Japanese whaling

Last edited 8 November 2001 at 9:00am
Japanese whalers claim to be collecting 'scientific samples'

Japanese whalers claim to be collecting 'scientific samples'

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

What future for the whales?

Last edited 8 November 2001 at 9:00am
Greenpeace protesters alongside a dead whale are dragged inside a whaling ship

Greenpeace protesters alongside a dead whale are dragged inside a whaling ship

CITES
All trade in endangered species is governed by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Following the IWC's announcement of a whaling moratorium in 1982, CITES classified the great whales as protected species, and outlawed international trade in whale products.

Article tagged as: CITES, IWC, japan, norway, oceans, whales, whaling

Oceans campaign: what Greenpeace is doing

Last edited 8 November 2001 at 9:00am
IWC53: Watching the whalers

IWC53: Watching the whalers

A return to full-scale commercial whaling could be just a hair's breadth away. Although the 1986 moratorium on whaling dramatically reduced the number of whales being caught, hunting still goes on. Now Norway and Japan are seeking to remove the protected status of whales and resume international trade. This would be a disaster for whales. In response to this threat. Greenpeace is demanding an end to all commercial whaling, once and for all. All whale species must be permanently protected.

Article tagged as: CITES, IWC, japan, norway, oceans, whales, whaling

Key dates in the history of the whaling campaign

Last edited 8 November 2001 at 9:00am
Greenpeace protest to stop whaling in Russian waters

Greenpeace protest to stop whaling in Russian waters

 

  • 1848: Whaling enters the industrial age with the invention of the exploding harpoon.
  • 1905: The introduction of factory ships leads to massive growth in the whaling industry. These floating processing plants are able to decimate whale populations at the rate of up to 40,000 a year.
Article tagged as: oceans, whales, whaling

Worldwide protest urges Japanese whaling fleet: "Don't go!"

Last edited 5 November 2001 at 9:00am
5 November, 2001

Today two giant eyeballs delivered a message to the Japanese Embassy in London imploring the Japanese Prime Minister not to send his whaling fleet to Antarctica to hunt minke whales, and to let Japan know the world is watching. The message delivery is part of a Greenpeace global day of action against whaling.

Article tagged as: IWC, japan, london, press releases, whale sanctuaries, whales, whaling

Comments on Japanese rebuttal

Last edited 29 October 2001 at 9:00am
Publication date: 
29 October, 2001

Greenpeace comments on the standard letter sent out by the Japanese Embassy in response to letters from the public protesting at Japan's so-called 'scientific' whaling

Download the report:
Article tagged as: japan, oceans, reports, whaling

Greenpeace guide to the Great whales

Last edited 29 October 2001 at 9:00am
Publication date: 
29 October, 2001

In total, 1.5 million whales were killed by commercial whalers in the fifty years from 1925 to 1975, the year that Greenpeace began its long running campaign to stop commercial whaling. Many of the world's whale populations had been taken to the brink of extinction and this massive destruction was only stopped when the International Whaling Commission (IWC) imposed a moratorium on all commercial whaling in 1986. Of the nine countries still whaling when the moratorium decision was taken, seven had ceased by 1990, but two countries, Japan and Norway, did not.

Download the report:
Article tagged as: IWC, japan, reports, whaling

Revised Management Scheme vote withdrawn

Last edited 27 July 2001 at 8:00am
IWC53: entrance

IWC53: entrance

At today's IWC the voting on the Revised Management Scheme did not go ahead after being withdrawn from the agenda by the Chair. Greenpeace supports the Chair in this decision, stating that,

"The IWC acted responsibly by not agreeing to a management scheme that would have led to the resumption of commercial whaling, especially in view of the fact that whales are faced with a number of serious environmental threats such as chemical pollution, noise pollution climate change and over-fishing."

"In addition, history has shown us that commercial whaling cannot be managed and has always led to gross over-exploitation and depletion of stocks."

Article tagged as: IWC, oceans, revised management scheme, whaling

Japan tries to obstruct moves to protect critically endangered whale population

Last edited 27 July 2001 at 8:00am
27 July, 2001

Greenpeace expressed outrage today at Japan's decision to vote against a proposal to protect the critically endangered Western North Pacific Gray Whale - of which there are believed to be less than 100 left.

Japan was the only country to vote against a proposal at the International Whaling Conference (IWC) to 'safeguard' the remaining whales which are listed as 'critically endangered' by the World Conservation Union - putting them in the same bracket as the black rhinoceros and mountain gorilla.

Article tagged as: conservation, IWC, oceans, press releases, western north pacific gray whales, whaling

Increasing environmental threats to whale populations exposed as IWC is overshadowed by Japanese vote buying

Last edited 27 July 2001 at 8:00am
27 July, 2001

As the International Whaling Commission (IWC) meeting ended in London today, Greenpeace stressed that Japanese vote buying (1) has prevented vital steps from being taken to protect the world's remaining whale populations, such as the creation of South Pacific and South Atlantic whale sanctuaries. Greenpeace also warned that the threats posed to all whale populations by man- made environmental degradation of the oceans are being grossly under estimated. (2)

Article tagged as: IWC, japan, oceans, press releases, vote buying, whaling