Take action: Protect the whaling ban, protect whales  May 2009
On June 22 over 80 governments will meet to decide the future of the world’s whales. More than 25 years after the global ban on commercial whaling was passed, these intelligent mammals are in danger once more. At the International Whaling Commission’s (IWC) annual meeting in Portugal, member countries will consider a proposal to allow coastal whaling – effectively lifting the international ban and spelling disaster for whales. Many governments – maybe even your government – seem dangerously interested in accepting the proposal; they believe it could act as leverage to control Japan’s so-called ‘scientific’ whaling. A dangerous compromise Unfortunately, this is not the case. Bartering with coastal whaling quotas will not guarantee that fewer whales are killed by Japan, Norway and Iceland, all of whom defy the ban. Instead, this proposal would open the floodgates for this cruel industry to grow worldwide. Whaling subjects gentle, warm-blooded mammals to rifle fire and exploding harpoons, and ultimately an agonizing death. Many hundreds will suffer from horrific explosion wounds for up to an hour before finally dying. If we act now we can prevent this >> Ensure the IWC votes for whales, not whaling The world’s whales urgently need you to tell your national representative at the International Whaling Commission to uphold the blanket ban on commercial whaling. If your nation is not represented at the IWC, you can still take action: write to the foreign ministers of Iceland, Japan or Norway, asking them to cease commercial and ‘scientific’ whaling on welfare grounds. Please protect whales today >> Read more about WSPA’s anti-whaling campaign >> © Photo credited to Jonas Fr. Thorsteinsson |