Tell Obama to keep his promise, save the #whales

I’ve signed, have you?

Dear Friend,

In an altogether shocking move, President Obama’s delegation to the International Whaling Commission (IWC) has decided to back a plan that would legalize commercial whaling — including in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary — for the first time since the international ban was passed over 20 years ago.

We only have until the start of the IWC meetings in June to convince the President that this plan is a horrible idea. And that’s exactly what we’re going to do.

Join me and tell Obama to keep his promise, save the whales.

Greenpeace will be delivering all the names and messages to high-ranking officials in the White House on June 3rd. I’ve already added my name. Add yours today.

Whale chef may be convicted #whales #badchef

It’s a strange world when you can be a whale chef in the middle of Shibuya and make a pile, but do it in the U.S. and you wind up busting a pile of rocks. That’s what Santa Monica sushi chef Kiyoshiro Yamamoto has found out to his dismay when he was arrested for serving up Sei whale meat to diners at his restaurant, which is suitably named “The Hump.” Yamamoto may be fined up to US$100K and face a year in prison, while his restaurant could be fined up to US$200K. (Source: TT commentary from japantimes.co.jp)

Oceanic Protection Society busts LA restaurant serving endangered #whale meat

Oscar winning The Cove Movie team undertake covert mission to expose “The Hump”.

The target: Los Angeles sushi restaurant “The Hump”, suspected of serving meat from the endangered Sei Whale. The act is a rare occurrence in the US, but underscores the illegitimacy of Japan’s scientific whaling program.

Armed with hidden cameras and microphones, the OPS team worked with federal agents to uncover the illegal activity.

Louie Psihoyos, director of the Cove broke the story to The New York Times just hours after accepting the Academy Award® for The Cove. Read more [http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/09/us/09sushi.html] about how the sting operation was carried out.

Stop Iceland’s #whale hunt – Act Now!

Iceland’s whaling season began recently, kicking off a bloody whale hunt that could lead to the death of 100 minke whales.

Iceland is one of only two countries (the other Japan) worldwide that still authorizes commercial whaling. About half of the whale meat from this year’s hunt is intended for domestic sales in Iceland, while the rest of the quota will be sold to Japan.

Sign the petition and tell the Icelandic government to reduce this year’s whale hunt quotas immediately – and to ban whaling forever.

Blog: Politicians Failing Whales #fb #geekgirl #fail #whales

One of the things that most annoys me about politics is the destruction the political system leaves in its wake. And why no matter whom we seem to vote for, all groups and individuals should be judged on the immediacy of what they do, and how they can mitigate the risk of inheriting the rubbish of former regimes. Simple, but having integrity is a great place to start!

I think this would have to be a universal doctrine of how one calculates the success of the incumbent. With a lot more scrutiny, immediacy and distribution of communication, we ‘the people’ are able to denounce the tardy, stupid, ineffectual and incompetent politicians we vote for.

We can’t seem to win: the right royal bunglers of this world just keep on coming. I think this may have to do with the type of people who work in Government and the type of people it attracts. Certainly, I’ve been told a good many times it’s hard to get good people in Gov’t: but surely there needs to be a bit more of a litmus test employed when employing people.

My vote for bad pollie of the week: it’s a close tie between the procrastinating K.Rudd dud (http://twitter.com/KevinRuddPM) or that arrogant plonker twit (http://twitter.com/TonyAbbottMHR). The latter got into the hot-seat by lying, the former making noise (centre-right) until he too can potentially lie legitimately. I doubt Australians are mad enough to vote for Abbott, who has a track record of not being able to separate Church from State, and btw looks shockin’ in his speedos!

Rudd refuses to get legal with the Japanese (who sank the Sea Shepherd‘s Ady Gil) even though he keeps making veiled threats to do so, and leaving Ms Julia Gillard (Julia.Gillard.MP@aph.gov.au) in charge (who now also makes veiled threats on his behalf).

Abbott doesn’t want to offend or hurt the Japanese Gov’t feelings. OMG perhaps he can organise a pity party!! #fail

It’s just crap city for the whales, being killed illegally by the Japanese in the Southern Oceans for meat. Leaving little choice for direct action groups like Sea Shepherd or Bob Barker, who are having to up the ante on gaining attention to save and defend whales.

I’m amazed no one has been killed, and I think this has more to do with sheer bloody luck than strategy or intention.

We have to continue to speak on behalf of animals, and we have to continue to let politicians know they are not doing a good enough job!!

I don’t care about Kevin Rudd climbing rocks (on Cradle Mountain) with his kids on holiday. Get off down the mountain Kev and do some bloody work! You made election promises you won’t keep!

Veiled threats are causing the situation to escalate by not having the courage as a Gov’t to defend Southern Ocean whales and Australian citizens. I am disgusted by your ineffectiveness K.Rudd and that’s why you get my vote for shit pollie of the week!

Links:

Tumblr | Stop Killing Whales

Blogspot | Save the Whales Please

Help Sea Shepherd raise funds for Waltzing Matilda #Fremantle #Western Australia

Perth Operation Waltzing Matilda Benefit
Fremantle, Western Australia

Wed, 2 Dec, 2009 6:45 PM – 11:45 PM

The evening will be entertaining and provide information on Sea Shepherd’s forthcoming Antarctic Whale Defense Campaign. The MC for the evening will be the Hon. Ian Campbell who is a member of the Sea Shepherd Advisory Board. Special guests include Brad Pettit, the new Mayor of Fremantle, Senator Rachel Siewart, Greens Spokesperson for Whaling, along with current Sea Shepherd crew. There will also be a silent auction and various raffles! Music for the night will be provided by Aiden Varro.

The primary purpose of this event is to raise much needed funds for Operation Waltzing Matilda – Sea Shepherd’s 6th Whale Defense Campaign which is being launched from Fremantle on Monday 7th December. This year, Sea Shepherd’s flagship Steve Irwin, will be accompanied to the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary by the Ady Gil. The Ady Gil is a futuristic trimaran which recently set the world powerboat record for circumnavigation. Due to its speed capabilities (up to 50 knots) Captain Paul Watson (Sea Shepherd President and Founder) intends to use the Ady Gil to intercept and physically block the harpoon ships from illegally slaughtering whales.

The Japanese whaling fleet will be targeting 935 Piked (Minke) whales and another 50 Fin whales, and has threatened to add Humpback Whales* to their quota as well. Sea Shepherd will once again attempt to block the whaling fleet’s efforts to kill these innocent animals and in doing so negate their illicit profits from the so called lethal research.

* Sources suggest Humpback Whales are not being targeted but all whales are beautiful and deserve defending!

Wed, 2 Dec, 2009 6:45 PM – 11:45 PM
Location: Fremantle Town Hall, William Street, Fremantle, Western Australia
Fees: $20 per person, tickets available at the door
Contact: jeff@seashepherd.org
http://my.seashepherd.org/

Sea Shepherd is intervening to defend #Whales

On December 7, 2009 the Sea Shepherd’s – Steve Irwin will depart to defend endangered whales in the Antarctic Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary.

Starting in December, the Japanese whaling fleet will be targeting 935 piked (Minke) whales and another 50 fin whales, and has threatened to add humpbacks to their quota as well. The Sea Shepherd intends to once again negate their illicit profits.

Because of Sea Shepherd interventions, the Japanese whalers have suffered losses for three years. They are making steady progress towards their objective of sinking the entire Japanese whaling fleet – economically.

You can support the Sea Shepherd in a variety of ways! Go to the Sea Shepherd website.

Junichi Sato and Toru Suzuki face 10 years in prison for defending #whales, you can do something to help.

Junichi Sato and Toru Suzuki are two Japanese activists who have found compelling evidence of corruption within the Japanese whaling program last year. Instead of investigating the whaling industry, Japanese authorities responded by arresting Junichi and Toru. They have been denied their liberty for over 6 months, awaiting trial later this year.

Show solidarity with Junichi and Toru – ask the Japanese Government to free the Tokyo Two and put whaling on trial instead.

SIGN THE PETITION

Australian Government must demand Japan recall its whaling fleet immediately

The Japanese whaling fleet left port in Innoshima (Nov 19, 2009) en route to Antarctica with over 1000 whales in its sight. It will take the whaling fleet about three weeks to reach the Southern Ocean beneath Australia.

When they get there, the Government of Japan’s annual ‘research’ expedition to Antarctic waters plans to kill up to 935 minke whales, 50 fin whales and 50 of our beloved humpback whales.

“Japan’s so-called scientific whaling is nothing less than commercial whaling in disguise. You don’t need to kill whales to study them,” said Darren Kindleysides, Director of the Australian Marine Conservation Society (AMCS).

This is the fifth whaling season for the Japanese Government’s controversial and confrontational ‘scientific whaling’ program known as ‘JARPA II’ and the 22nd consecutive year Japan has hunted whales under the guise of scientific research. In that time, Japan’s whalers have killed more than 9000 whales in the Southern Ocean.

“Hunting hundreds of whales and calling it research breaks international law and defies the global ban on whaling brought in by the International Whaling Commission in 1986. How many more whaling seasons must be endured, how many more whales must die under this charade?” Kindleysides said.

This whaling season, the whalers are planning to kill 50 humpback whales - this would break a four decade ban on hunting humpbacks and has ramifications for Australia’s thriving whale watching industry.

“The whalers have our beloved humpbacks in their sights - the same whales that migrate to Australia during winter, the same whales that support our multi-million dollar whale watching industries on our east and west coasts.”

Research [1] has shown that whale watching is worth approximately $300million dollars a year in Australia, with humpbacks the backbone of our whale watching industries in many locations.  Japan withdrew plans to kill humpbacks in 2007 and 2008 following international outcry and pressure from countries like Australia, but their self-appointed quota of 50 humpbacks in the 2009 season still stands.

With the recent change of Government in Japan, there are suggestions the Japanese Government is reviewing the funding for the annual whaling expeditions, a hugely subsidised and controversial hunt that has stained Japan’s standing on the international stage.

“The Australian Government must demand Japan recall its whaling fleet immediately. It is time to tell the new Japanese Government to put their unlawful whaling program on ice. If diplomacy cannot prevent another season of whale slaughter in the Southern Ocean the Rudd Government must deliver on its election promise to pursue legal action against Japan before international courts and tribunals to end whaling once and for all,” concluded Kindleysides.

[1] Research undertaken by the International Fund for Animal Welfare evaluating the economic value of whale and dolphin watching in Australia.

Media Contact:
Darren Kindleysides (AMCS Director): +61 (07) 3393 5811 or 0422 396 077

www.marineconservation.org.au

US anticipates The Cove

It’s deeply disturbing that the slaughter of dolphins will commence again in Japan this coming September. There’s not yet enough talk about what we can do to save the dolphins before the slaughter begins or how to inform the Japanese people that the high levels of mercury present in dolphin ‘meat’ is dangerous to their health.

I have started a Twitter page for the exact purpose of rallying attention and possibly organising some protests. If, you have any suggestions or ideas please follow @dolphindays and keep informed of the activities of the filmmakers and follow @thecovemovie.

Any groups or individuals who love animals will want to get involved. I am also putting a call out to surfers and waterbabies who want to help protect the world’s oceans and also continue to petition Japan of their treatment of whales, dolphins and all cetaceans.

I also lashed out tonight on Twitter because I often find the vapid, mundane and banal tweets absolutely irritating and frustrating. As a tool for social engagement it can be used for a lot more than it currently is or does.

GG.