June 8th is World Ocean Day

Did you know that June 8^th is World Ocean Day?  In honor of this daylong celebration of ocean life and our connection to it, a coalition called Whalewatch is highlighting the plight of whales. Despite a decades-old ban on commercial whaling, countries like Japan, Norway and Iceland continue to hunt and kill whales.

Click here to learn Top ten facts whalers don't want you to know

“It is ironic that on the day when people around the globe celebrate the world's oceans, whaling fleets from Japan and Norway are currently at sea, with the sole intent of hunting and killing hundreds of whales,” said Philip Lymbery, speaking on behalf of the coalition. Philip Lymbery is Director of Communications for the World Society for the Protection of Animals, a member organization of Whalewatch.

Just days from now, the International Whaling Commission (IWC) will hold its annual meeting in Ulsan, South Korea. This year, there is a danger that pro-whaling countries could have a voting majority for the first time since the ban on whaling was adopted in 1982. Whalewatch is a coalition of over 140 non-governmental organizations from 55 countries, and will be lobbying to prevent any compromise deal that could bring back commercial whaling.

You can take action now and let your representative at the IWC know that you oppose whaling. Click here to take action for whales!

Earlier this year, Norway announced that its whalers would be allowed to kill almost 800 minke whales by the end of August.  This is the largest quota set by the Norwegian government since it resumed whaling in 1993.  In addition, Japan has admitted to killing up to 440 minke whales in Antarctic waters this year and has been widely condemned over its reported plan to double the number of whales that it will kill in the name of ‘research'.  This controversial plan would see humpback and fin whales added to those targeted by Japanese whalers in the Antarctic.  Japan has killed over 7,600 whales for ‘research' since 1987, during which time it has repeatedly ignored over 20 IWC resolutions calling on it to stop.  In total, some 25,000 whales have been killed since a ban on commercial whaling came into force in 1986, and more than 1,400 whales are expected to die this year alone. 

In 2004 Whalewatch published ‘Troubled Waters', a major scientific review of the welfare implications of modern whaling activities.  This supports what has long been believed; that whales experience extreme trauma and suffering in the hunt and kill process and in some cases can survive for over an hour after being harpooned.