DawnWatch: Whale vote loss at IWC covered in Time Magazine 7/3/06 and other articles 6/26/06
July 12th, 2006 5:33 pm by Kelly Garbato———- Forwarded message ———-
From: DawnWatch – news [at] dawnwatch.com
Date: Jun 26, 2006 5:54 PM
Subject: DawnWatch: Whale vote loss at IWC covered in Time Magazine 7/3/06 and other articles 6/26/06
Last week the whales suffered a hit at the annual meeting of the International Whaling Commission. The July 3 edition of Time Magazine has summarized the situation in an article headed, “Revenge of The Whale Hunters; Japan says the giant mammals have recovered in the 20 years since whaling was banned. Tell that to the whales.”
It tells us that in 1986, with most species of whales in serious decline, the International Whaling Commission (IWC) voted to prohibit whaling, “allowing it only for scientific purposes or, in a handful of cases, such as among native peoples in Alaska and Greenland, to preserve ancient food-gathering practices.
“But the treaty has proved all too easy to get around. Japan, Iceland and Norway, in particular, have slaughtered tens of thousands of whales in the past 20 years. The first two countries claim they are doing it for science, although much of the meat they take ends up on dinner tables. Norway doesn’t even bother pretending. It openly flouts the IWC’s rules.
And at last week’s meeting Japan pushed through a resolution calling for a repeal of the whaling moratorium.”
We read, “Fortunately for the whales, the resolution isn’t binding. The vote was 33 to 32 in favor, but it would have taken a 75% majority to overturn the ban.” However, “it takes only a simple majority to make other changes–to take future votes on secret ballots, for example, so that nations can’t be held accountable for their positions, or to exclude antiwhaling groups from IWC meetings.”
The article tells us that “Japan has reportedly showered more than $100 million in aid in recent years on island nations that it has persuaded to back its pro-whaling positions.”
You can read the full article on line at Time www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1207813,00.html and send a letter to Time at letters [at] time.com
The Monday, June 26 Washington Post has covered the issue (Pg A3) in an article headed, “U.S. Joins Anti-Whaling Effort; Nations Respond To Panel’s Vote.”
It tells us that “Bush administration officials said they were alarmed by the 33 to 32 vote in favor of the nonbinding declaration” and that “Environmentalists are hoping that the Bush administration will take the lead in blocking any expanded whale hunting. They are pressing the president — who has raised the issue before with Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi — to bring it up again when the two meet later this week.
Patrick Ramage, spokesman for the International Fund for Animal Welfare, is quoted:
“Only the U.S. has the power, if it takes the issue seriously, to change the situation in the water for the world’s whales.”
You can read that whole article on line here and send a letter to the Post at letters [at] washpost.com
The New Zealand Herald has two interesting pieces on the issue. One, by Sea Shepherd’s Captain Paul Watson, is headed, “Power of one’ can end the killing of the whales.”
It opens:
“One person can make a difference. Because of Dian Fossey the mountain gorillas of Rwanda were saved. Because of Birute Galdikas, the orangutans of Indonesian have been protected. Because of David Wingate the Bermuda storm petrel is not extinct.
“Last week, Bruce Foerster, demonstrated this principle when Belize surprised everyone by voting against all five Japanese motions at the International Whaling Commission meeting in St Kitts & Nevis.
“Everyone had assumed that Belize was a bought and paid for nation recruited by Japan. But Belize was the first nation to realise that doing the bidding of Japan could have grave economic consequences.
“Belize Hotel owner and Sea Shepherd Conservation Society member Bruce Foerster certainly made Belize aware of the consequences. In an email dated May 21st, 2006 [reproduced below] Bruce gave Belize an ultimatum.”
Foerster, the owner of a large resort, the Jaguar Reef Lodge, let the Belize government know that if it voted against the whales he would immediately sell his resort and take all of his capital out of the country. The Belize government may have felt that others would follow suit and the tourism industry on which it relies would be in trouble. You can read Watson’s piece, including Foerster’s letter, on line at www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=2&ObjectID=10388320
The other interesting piece on the issue from The New Zealand Herald is headed, “Spare a thought for the poor bunnies” by Lincoln Tan. Tan tells us that eating whale meat is part of Japan’s cultural heritage, “So an attack on whaling is seen as an attack on Japanese tradition.”
He quotes Daiki Mori, a visitor in New Zealand from Tokyo, who says “How can Kiwis bring themselves to shoot and kill the small bunnies and make them into soup? Rabbits, like cats and dogs, are pets to cuddle, not to eat. Not like whales.”
We read:
He also thinks that breeding animals on a farm to be slaughtered for food is even more cruel than hunting, saying it is worse to kill something you raise. He thinks New Zealand and other anti-whaling nations are hypocrites.
“Mori criticises Western farming methods, citing the practice of cramming chickens into tiny wire cages that make it impossible for the birds to stretch their wings, and pigs, which are considered far more intelligent than dogs, being kept in conditions where they will never get a chance to use their brains – in crates so narrow they cannot turn around or walk more than a step forwards or backwards.”
Tan also writes:
“When I mentioned to a Hindu friend in Singapore that I was migrating to God’s own country, New Zealand, he shot back saying it was more correct to describe New Zealand as a country that ‘ate gods’.
“He said he considered cows sacred, and because he deems the slaughter of cattle offensive he would never come to New Zealand for a visit.
And, “The next time you sink your teeth into a chunky steak, think how a Hindu would feel about you eating an animal linked to his god.”
Various articles in the past week have pointed out that a grave concern amongst animal advocates is the length of time it takes some whales to die after being harpooned (see releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=67711) — a length of time that would be considered unacceptable under the humane slaughter laws of most Western nations. However humane slaughter laws are widely flouted, and in the US they even exempt over 90% of all land animals slaughtered for food; animals classified as poultry are exempt.
Finally I wish to share a superb letter to the editor in the Monday, June 19, edition of the national paper, “The Australian.” I like to remind animal advocates that articles can serve as jump of points for letters on any animal cruelty issue. With the following letter, activist Jenny Moxham proves that point:
“Discriminating kindness
“Australia’s stance about Japan’s whaling activities is commendable, but we also need to be consistent. We can’t expect to be taken seriously if we condemn cruelty to one animal yet condone cruelty to another.
“Australia is obviously quite happy to subject fish to the torture of a barbed hook and slow suffocation, to cruelly slaughter kangaroos and to subject millions of farmed animals to a lifetime of misery in factory farms culminating with a terrifying death in the slaughterhouse. We are also happy to send millions of Australian sheep and cattle on a nightmare voyage to the Middle East for a hideously cruel death by ritual slaughter.
“Jenny Moxham, Monbulk, Vic”
I urge animal advocates to respond to the articles cited above with letters against whaling or any other common cruelties. And please, keep an eye out for coverage in your local media to which you can respond. Smaller papers publish a high proportion of letters they receive, so why not take a few minutes to send a note on behalf of the animals? If you have any trouble finding the correct email address for a letter to your editor I am happy to help, and I am always happy to edit letters.
Always include your full name, address, and daytime phone number when sending a letter to the editor. Shorter letters are more likely to be published.
Yours and the animals’,
Karen Dawn
(DawnWatch is an animal advocacy media watch that looks at animal issues in the media and facilitates one-click responses to the relevant media outlets. You can learn more about it, and sign up for alerts at www.DawnWatch.com. To unsubscribe, go to www.dawnwatch.com/cgi-bin/dada/dawnwatch_unsubscribe.cgi
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