New Zealand save whales, not whaling
Mar 18, 2010
The New Zealand Government is considering a proposal which would legitimise Japan, Norway and Iceland’s commercial whaling.
The proposal drafted by a special group of the International Whaling Commission (IWC), would allow the three whaling nations to openly hunt whales if they agreed to reduce their total catch over the next ten years and submit DNA samples and other data to the IWC.
As Keisha explains, this proposal is more about saving the whaling industry than saving whales.
© Deb and Mark Smith
“The deal, if passed, would effectively lift the whaling ban, setting a dangerous and unprecedented endorsement of commercial whaling. It will not guarantee a reduction in the number of whales killed by Japan, Norway or Iceland in the long term. More worryingly, the proposal opens the floodgates in the future to other countries wanting to hunt whales and trade in whale products, allowing this cruel and unnecessary industry to expand worldwide.
This is totally unacceptable. Whaling is horrendously cruel. The exploding harpoons used to kill whales have changed little since my great-grandparent’s days, which often means a slow and agonising death. Their sheer size means there is simply no way to kill whales humanely and quickly at sea – some suffer from their terrible wounds for over an hour as they struggle desperately to escape.
Whales are intelligent animals, they form strong bonds with their young and are capable of complex social interactions. They deserve our respect and protection.
I am appalled that the New Zealand Government is considering supporting a proposal which would give the green light to this outdated and unspeakably cruel practice.
Over the last 20 years, the whaling nations have killed more than 25,000 whales. To now reward this behavior by offering up yet more whales is tantamount to waving the white flag of defeat,” she says.
WSPA, along with Greenpeace, Forest and Bird, , Whale Dolphin Conservation Society (WDCS) and Project Jonah have united to tell the government ‘no deal’. We urgently need your help to let the Government know the New Zealand public do not support any proposal which legitimises commercial whaling.”
Join me in helping save the whales
The whales can only suffer in silence. These beautiful and intelligent animals need assistance and they need it now. We urgently need your help to let the government know that New Zealanders do not support any deal which would endorse commercial whaling. Please join me in giving these precious animals a voice. Act now to ensure that New Zealand votes to protect whales, not whaling, when it meets with governments from around the world at the IWC meeting in June.
Take action now and tell the New Zealand Government to protect whales, not whaling.