No More Yen for Whales

Dominica -- June 22, 2008: Dominica’s Prime Minister, Roosevelt Skerritt, and his cabinet have taken a decision that will not endear them to the Japan Whaling Association or to some of the governments in nearby Caribbean states. It may however, help to stop the wanton slaughter of hundreds of whales every year and, at the same time, contribute to a growing tourist attraction in the Caribbean – whale watching. Skerritt has announced, in advance of the 60th meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) on June 23rd, that the country’s representative will abstain on a vote for "the sustainable use of marine resources” meaning the killing of whales. St. Kitts & Nevis Democrat

Labels: Caribbean, Chile, commercial whaling, Dominica, International Whaling Commission, Japanese whaling, whale watching, whales

¶ 12:40 PM  0 Comments

Whaling Commission's Future to be Tested in Chile

Santiago, Chile -- June 21, 2008: An International Whaling Commission meeting in Chile next week could decide the future of the deeply split panel as Japan, one of its most powerful members and the world's biggest whaler, seeks a compromise. Some 80 countries at the Santiago meeting will take up issues ranging from whale stocks and whale killing methods to the booming business of whale watching. The first IWC meeting in South America in 23 years, which runs Monday through Friday, also looks set to define the Latin America bloc of countries as the new champion of the world's biggest mammals. Reuters

Labels: Chile, International Whaling Commission, IWC, Japan, Japanese whaling, whale hunting, whale watching, whales

¶ 12:33 PM  0 Comments

Australia releases graphic whaling photos

SYDNEY, Australia -- 7 February 2008: Australia has released graphic pictures of minke whales caught by a Japanese hunt in the Antarctic. Canberra claimed the pictures, taken by customs officers tracking the hunt, show a harpooned mother and calf being dragged from the sea. BBC News.

Labels: Anti-whaling, Australia, commercial whaling, EIA, Japan, minke, Southern Ocean Sanctuary, whales, whaling, whaling ban

¶ 4:39 AM  0 Comments

Australian minister warns Japan of whale action

TOKYO, Japan -- February 1, 2008: Australia's foreign minister warned Friday of tougher action to stop Japan whaling, despite calls for calm from both sides over the increasingly emotive dispute. Foreign Minister Stephen Smith held talks in Tokyo just as Japan was reported to have resumed killing whales in the Antarctic Ocean following a two-week halt under pressure from environmental protesters. (AFP)

Labels: Australia, EIA, IWC, Japan, Southern Ocean Sanctuary, whale hunting, whale sanctuary, whales

¶ 7:58 AM  0 Comments

Five whales killed as Japan resumes slaughter

LONDON, United Kingdom -- January 31, 2008: Japan has resumed its slaughter of whales in the Southern Ocean - and now stands condemned by the world. Officers aboard the Australian Customs vessel Oceanic Viking witnessed the killing of whales - believed to be minke - about 3pm. Witnesses reported seeing up to five whales harpooned and then hauled on to the factory ship Nisshin Maru. Daily Telegraph.

Labels: Australia, EIA, IWC, Japan, Southern Ocean Sanctuary, whale hunting, whale sanctuary, whales

¶ 8:20 AM  0 Comments

New concerns raised over 'scientific whaling'

The targeting of pregnant minke whales has raised new concerns over the plans by Japan to kill 50 humpback whales in the Antarctic in late 2007. Associate Professor Peter Harrison, director of the Southern Cross University Whale Research Centre and director of Marine Studies in the School of Environmental Science and Management, said small, isolated humpback populations were most at risk from Japanese whaling. 07 Aug 2007. ScienceAlert

Labels: 'scientific whaling', Japan, whales

¶ 6:06 AM  0 Comments

CARIBBEAN: Unknown State of Whales and Dolphins

ARTICLE: CARIBBEAN: Unknown State of Whales and Dolphins. By Patricia Grogg.

HAVANA, Jul 18 (IPS/IFEJ) - The Wider Caribbean region is the habitat of a quarter of the planet's sea mammals, but little is known about the state of their conservation here, warn experts. Inter Press Service

Labels: Caribbean, conservation, dolphins, whales

¶ 7:25 AM  0 Comments