ocean biodiversity

The commission's new chairman said the IWC should now question its role as the conference on the Portuguese island of Madeira wrapped up a day early with delegates agreeing only to extend negotiations on whaling for another year.

The Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (WDCS) said it "deeply laments the fact that not a single of the important whaling topics was resolved".

The 61st annual meeting of the IWC has seen 85 member countries come together in Madeira, Portugal, who unanimously decided yesterday that climate change is a key threat to the world's whales.
They have set forward a resolution urging governments to commit to reducing emissions at the UN Climate meeting in Copenhagen at the end of the year in order to address this issue.

Surely this conference was about protecting whales from commercial slaughter, not protecting themselves and whales from climate change!

"However, members did not take action that would stop commercial whaling outside of IWC regulation, which is a fundamental problem that the IWC must address, and which continues today." So there will be no further action to stop commercial whaling? The IWC has lost it's original aims - to protect whales from commercial killings!

Despite Environment Minister’s rhetoric about vowing to “stamp out scientific whaling”, there is not such thing as Japan's "scientific whaling".

Our "anti-whaling" Government has to take some of the blame for the proliferation of the whale meat trade! Before being elected, Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd made many promises about "tough" action against Japan's illegal whale killers and stopping their slaughter, but nothing has happened!

All their procrastinations and rhetoric has meant that Japan has been able to successfully continue their thinly disguised commercial whaling!

The only "tough" action from our Government has been against the crew of the Steve Irwin when Japan got the AFP to raid their ship! Our so-called "anti-whaling" nation has actually encouraged the re-commencement of commercial whaling.

Foreign Minister Stephen Smith indicated Australia was leaving open the option of taking legal action against Japan on whaling through the International Court of Justice or the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea. However, this action is not optional but a pre-election promise to stop illegal whaling! Fulfilling promises should not be "optional" unless there is a drastic change in events, but there hasn't been.

While our leaders procrastinate and make excuses, Japan will continue to flout international and domestic laws and continue their commercial whaling. They are not only violating CITES and Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary but are completely flouting the Antarctic Treaty that protects marine wildlife and environment and the permit system to even enter the territory!

By allowing Japan to continue their successful commercial whaling, other nations such as Norway and Iceland have followed. When are we going to take action as an “anti-whaling” nation?

Operation Waltzing Matilda is the 6th Sea Shepherd campaign to defend the whales of the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary from Japanese poachers.
“This is a research project,” said Captain Paul Watson. “We’ve decided to demonstrate our solidarity with the Japanese, Australian, and New Zealand Research projects. Our primary objective is to research non-lethal means for defending whales. Of course this may include research into Japanese ship’s hull plate thickness, vessel stress tests, and paint chip analysis, as well as observation of whaler behavior in response to olfactory stimulation.”

Maybe there are deep-seated resentments due to the success of Sea Shepherd, lonely activists against the mighty economic powers of Japan, or maybe there are guilt issues regarding their affront to people's acceptance of violence towards animals. No doubt, Sea Shepherd and Captain Paul Watson upset the status quo!

There is more to whale killing than the desire for the meat and profits. It's about human lust to "manage" the oceans away from the Cetacean species who know how to live in harmony with their environment - not like our own species that are creating sewers and killing fields out of the oceans.

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