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Japan spares humpbacks to end whaling ban
Campaign Whale Press Release – No embargo
 
Japan spares humpbacks - but only to end whaling ban
 
Today’s announcement that Japan will not kill 50 humpback whales this winter could spell the end of the 21 year old ban on commercial whaling said a whale protection group today.
 
Campaign Whale fears that a deal has been struck to negotiate the lifting of the whaling ban at a special intercessional meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) to be held next March in London. The annual meeting could vote on proposals to lift the ban as early as next June.
 
After bilateral negotiations with the United States, Japan surprisingly announced today that they would spare the 50 humpbacks. However, the humpbacks are just a tiny portion of a massive whale slaughter, the biggest since commercial whaling was banned,  that will take place in Antarctica over the next 3 months, including 950 minke and 50 fin whales.
 
Japan has already killed almost 500 whales in the north-Pacific for ‘research’ this summer including endangered minke, sei, Bryde’s and sperm whales - to little protest. Campaign Whale believes that the popular ‘singing’ humpbacks, subject to a huge international whale-watching industry, were simply a cynical ploy to persuade governments that they must agree to lift the whaling ban for other species.
 
“We believe that Japan has spared the humpbacks in exchange for a commitment from the United States and other governments to agree a plan to lift the commercial whaling ban, possibly as soon as next year” said Campaign Whale Director Andy Ottaway,
 
“The sad reality is that countless thousands of whales face a cruel death unless and until world governments stand up to Japan and tell them that whaling must end, or face economic and political sanctions.”
 
“All diplomacy has failed to force Japan, Norway and Iceland to end the cruel slaughter of whales.  Japan is clearly intent on brokering a deal to kill countless whales in the future. If they succeed, these spared humpbacks are a very hollow victory indeed”
 
For further information please contact Andy Ottaway on:
 
01273 471403 Mobile: 07855 666069.
 
Editors Notes:
 
  • Japan has killed almost 20,000 whales during the whaling ban, mostly under the guise of ‘research’
 
  • Japan also kills up to 20,000 smaller whales, dolphins and porpoises each year that they claim are exempted from the IWC’s whaling ban
 
  • The IWC is considering a compromise plan to lift the whaling ban at a special meeting in London next March. Voting could take place by the full Commission in June.
 
  • A meeting will take place in Tokyo in January where compromise proposals will be discussed to ban whaling in the southern hemisphere only. That would allow whaling by Japan, Norway and Iceland to continue under authority of the IWC.
 

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Japan sets sail for massive whale kill

On Sunday 18th November  Japan's whaling fleet set sail for the Antarctic aiming to conduct the biggest single whale slaughter since commercial whaling was banned over twenty years ago.  The whalers are targeting 1,035 whales for so-called ‘research’, cynically exploiting a legal loophole in the whaling convention.  

The International Whaling Commission (IWC) has repeatedly condemned the hunt, most recently at its annual meeting held in Anchorage last May.

Japan has killed over 10,000 whales for ’research’ since the IWC banned commercial whaling in 1986. All the meat is sold commercially with the choicest cuts an extremely expensive delicacy in Japanese restaurants.

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Campaign Whale calls for EU action to stop whaling

Campaign Whale Press Release

Thursday October 4th October – No Embargo
 
 
Whale protection organisation Campaign Whale and Green MEP Caroline Lucas today presented a 100,000 hand-signed petition to European Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas in Brussels calling for urgent action to improve protection for whales and prevent the resumption of whaling. The petition calls for existing loopholes in EU legislation that permit whale killing, to be closed, to reflect overwhelming public concern.

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Stop Japan's dolphin slaughter!
Once again, Campaign Whale is supporting an international day of protest in London and cities around the world to demand an end to Japan’s dolphin and porpoise hunts. We appreciate this is a working day but please try to attend if you possible can. It is very important that we have a good number of protesters on the day. We will provide you with a placard but please make your own placard or banner and bring it along if you so wish.  

If you cannot attend please call the Japanese Embassy in London and politely register your protest to:

Ambassador Nogami on 0207 465 6500.

 

Stop Japan’s dolphin hunts!
 
Tuesday 25th September 2007 12-2 pm Japanese Embassy, 101-104
Piccadilly, London.Nearest Tube: Green Park

 

 

Please also wear something red and bring a red flower and a polite message to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe with you to lay at the Embassy steps, calling for an end to the slaughter of dolphins and porpoises in Japan

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Iceland announces end to commercial whaling

Campaign Whale welcomes the announcement by Fisheries Minister Einar Guofinnsson that the Icelandic Government will not permit more whaling after the current quota expires on August 31.

 "I will not issue a new quota until the market conditions for whale meat improve and permission to export whale products to Japan is secured," he said, "There is no reason to continue commercial whaling if there is no demand for the product."

Iceland resumed commercial whaling last October in defiance of an international moratorium on commercial whaling introduced by the International Whaling Commission (IWC) in 1986.

The government set a quota of 30 minke whales and nine fin whales, listed by the IUCN-World Conservation Union as an endangered species, but whalers have only killed seven minke whales and seven fin whales to date. However, more minke whales are likely to be killed for 'research.'

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Campaign targets UK Supermarket giants to save 600 whales
Tues 19th June 2007: Press Release: No embargo
 
Campaigners call on major UK Supermarkets to help save 600 whales
 
Campaign Whale and the Marine Connection today launched a campaign calling on supermarket giants Tesco and Sainsbury’s to stop buying Icelandic fish products in protest at the country’s resumption of whaling. Iceland resumed commercial whaling last October and their whalers have already killed 7 endangered fin whales and two minkes out of a quota of almost 70 whales, including 30 minkes for so-called ‘research’.
 
The Icelandic Marine Research Institute, currently killing minke whales for ‘research’ condemned as unnecessary by the IWC, has just proposed that Iceland could kill up to 600 whales next season. Campaign Whale’s Andy Ottaway, who has just returned from the International Whaling Commission (IWC) meeting in Anchorage which upheld the existing ban on commercial whaling, said:
 
‘Iceland claims whales must be culled to protect fish stocks. The UK is the biggest market for Icelandic fish and prawns, and Tesco and Sainsbury’s, hold the biggest market share. The public don’t want to buy fish tainted by the slaughter of whales and Tesco and Sainsbury’s can do something about that'

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Iceland's Baugur Group says 'no' to whaling!

11th March 2007

The huge Icelandic Investment company The Baugur Group, which owns many retail outlets in Iceland, has followed up its public statement in January opposing the country''s resumption of commercial whaling by banning the sale of whale products from all its stores in Iceland. Baugur representatives met with Campaign Whale in January to discuss the whaling issue.

This move comes as a further blow to both the Government and the whalers who are having difficulty selling whale meat in Iceland.  T he Baugur Group has publicly stated that they see Iceland''s resumption of whaling as a serious threat to Iceland''s business interests abroad. 

Campaign Whale is leading a coalition of groups meeting with fish retailers in the UK calling on them to review their fish buying policies and reject claims that whales must be culled to conserve fishstocks. This argument has no scientific credibility whatsoever and we believe the public do not want to buy fish from countries that use this spurious argument to justify the cruel slaughter of whales for profit.

Please see our ''don''t buy your fish from whale killers'' campaign section for further information on how you can help

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Fluke jewellery

Special offer to Campaign Whale friends and supporters!
Campaign Whale is delighted to associate with Fluke jewellery - makers of exceptionally beautiful sterling silver jewellery, hand-crafted in the Orkney Islands of Scotland.

This wonderful range of unique jewellery, themed on whales, dolphins and the marine environment, has been made available exclusively to Campaign Whale.

Please visit www.flukejewellery.com to see it for yourself.

Every sale benefits Campaign Whale and our vital work to help protect whales dolphins and porpoises, and the environment .

So, why not look great, for a good cause!

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