Whaling body rejects Japanese bid to push for commercial whaling

[leftchick]

http://www.forbes.com/business/feeds/afx/2005/06/21/afx2102782.html

ULSAN, South Korea (AFX) - The International Whaling Commission has rejected a bid by Japan to push through a document aimed at eventually resuming commercial whaling.

The measure, which would have required a three quarters majority, was voted down by 29 votes to 23, failing even to secure a simple majority of the 66-member bloc.

The commission has for more than a decade been working to agree on a system to manage whaling should a 19-year moratorium on the industry ever be lifted.

Anti-whaling nations and environmentalists said the Japanese proposal fell well short of something they would approve.




http://www.savethewhales.org/

http://whales.greenpeace.org/

[nine30]

1. Good

[Judi Lynn]

2. I hope there's some foolproof way restrictions can be enforced, too.

Sure glad these short-sighted whaling nations took it in the shorts this time. I pray their luck will steadily deteriorate, and they'll be driven to seek other hobbies.

Killing whales simply isn't necessary for any reason whatsoever. Thanks for that beautiful photo, leftchick.

[blindpig]

6. torpedos are pretty foolproof

If the Sea Shepherds got hold of a late model U-Boat I would not shed a tear. Killing sentients is murder, regardless of the species.

[sui generis]

3. Of all the things that twist my knickers

the one thing that really winds them up is "scientific" whaling.

I really hate dishonesty to begin with, and most especially when it is that outrageously blatant.

Fortunately, it is a narrow brush I paint with today. Many Japanese themselves have a problem with hunting whales and work in environmental organizations to eliminate whale hunting. Again, it's a matter of the government subsidizing an established industry. Rather than retraining whalers, they find it's cheaper to outfit them to hunt more efficiently.

The excuse that it's a cultural thing is very lame. The culture I come from sacrificed christians for good luck a mere 800 years or so ago. I would be happy to continue the practice }( if I thought it actually worked. Fortunately we recognize that some "ancient" cultural practices are not practical or conducive to good public relations, and there are a whole bunch more christians than whales.

(just kidding about the christians; calm down, it was a funny)

[Judi Lynn]

8. Oh, now you've gone and done it.

You've got Jimmy squalling again. Pat will pray for you. http://rushlimbaughtomy.blogspot.com.nyud.net:8090/patr.jpg

[sui generis]

9. I think the rest of that picture is Pat sitting on a Jake

squeezing out a cantaloupe

I'm just sayin' . . . :hi:

[AngryAmish]

4. There are lots of whales

There is nothing wrong with hunting them except for the publicity machine (and dollar machine) preventing hunting.

[leftchick]

7. there are lots of whales???

really? What are their numbers compared to 100 years ago? Start with the Right Whale.

here is a link to get you started...

http://www.savethewhales.org/s_right.html

[blindpig]

10. excuse me

But some species number only in the hundreds, others on the low thousands, numbers which a hunt would make short work of. Some of the smaller species still number in the 10's of thousands but those could get in trouble at any time considering the way we're ruining the oceans and climate.

Then there is the issue of the the sentience of ceteans. Many workers say they are and if so the mass murder of them woud be genocide.

[AngryAmish]

14. However, there are millions of other species of whales

I catch a lot of chinook salmon in Lake Michigan and in Lake Michigan there are not millions of chinook salmon. However, there is a population that is nicely managed and we can enjoy them.

They should not be cruelly hunted, because that makes us worse. However, there is nothing intrinsic to whales that should prevent us from hunting them except for the multimillion dollar machine dedicated to "saving" the whales (or pay whale activists' mortgages).

[blindpig]

15. You win!

Dumbest post award.

"Millions of other species of whales"? Where do they keep them, on the internets?

You have no understanding of natural history, get thee to the library!

Obviously you don't consider them sentient, if you know what that means.

Arrgh!

[RebelOne]

11. In my opinion, the remark that there is nothing wrong with

hunting the whales is totally ignorant.

[leftchick]

12. yes indeed

:grr:

[sui generis]

13. There is something very wrong with hunting whales and gorillas

or any intelligent species.

First of all, it's not "necessary".

Second of all, if you can't farm it, you shouldn't be hunting it.

Lastly, it is not the job of humans to keep populations depleted by making sure that there are just barely "plenty" of a species left, for fun and games.

The dollar machine does not profit by preventing hunting.

[DemExpat]

5. Thank God....

Last night on Belgian Tv they showed a documentary on Japanese whaling practices following a normal day in rounding up and slaughtering small whales (Beluga whales) - it was devastating to see them abusing the intelligent and feeling animals finally ending the drawn out torture by slitting their throats to leave them to slowly die.

It was absolutely horrendous.

:cry: :cry: :cry:

DemEx

[Puglover]

16. It's like shark finning.

Catching 1000s of sharks; cutting off only their fins and dumping the fish (still alive) to slowly drown. As far as their eatting habits go some of the Japanese make me sick.

[DemExpat]

17. Humane slaughter is the only answer to eating flesh IMO.

For those who choose to enjoy these meats.

:-(

DemEx

[shockra]

18. Somebody's been feeling the heat.

Disney leaflet will explain horrors of Hong Kong shark's fin dishes

Thu Jun 9, 9:29 AM ET

HONG KONG (AFP) - Disney, under fire from green groups for planning to offer shark's fin soup at its Hong Kong resort, announced a novel plan to ease activists' fears -- it will hand out leaflets explaining the cruelty of shark fishing with every bowl of the controversial dish.

The leaflet scheme is the latest salvo in a global row with environmentalists over its decision to serve the delicacy, blamed for a sharp decline in shark numbers worldwide, at wedding banquets when the Hong Kong theme park opens in September.

Disney has resisted calls to drop the luxury item and instead seeks to educate customers against buying it.

"If customers insist on shark's fin soup we will agree to serve it to them but with a leaflet carrying information on how shark fins are harvested," Disney spokeswoman Irene Chan told AFP.

"It will be written in a suitable manner for a wedding, but it will explain the environmental impact of shark fin fishing," Chan said.

Cheng Luk-ki, a spokesman for local activist group Green Power, which had been asked by Disney to design the leaflet, said it would pull no punches.

"It will explain the importance of sharks to marine ecology and explain how they are cruelly killed," Cheng told AFP. "It will detail the environmental and health impacts of eating it."

more...

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/environmenthongkongusdisneyshark;_ylt=AgLL8pZMYhjqHGnP3jsbCEsPLBIF;_ylu=X3oDMTBiMW04NW9mBHNlYwMlJVRPUCUl

[Moderator]

20. shockra

Per DU copyright rules
please post only four
paragraphs from the
copyrighted news source.


Thank you.


DU Moderator

[quaoar]

19. Japan tried to buy the votes of poor nations with aid money

And pack the commission with nations who could be bought off and who have no interest in whales or whaling.

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,15679560%255E30417,00.html

Japan's whaling friends a no-show
Peter Alford in Ulsan, South Korea
June 21, 2005

THREE of Japan's new allies failed to show at the opening day of the International Whaling Commission, giving the Australian-led anti-whaling group unexpected breathing space.

Of the IWC's five last-minute signings, only whale-friendly Luxembourg and pro-whaling Cameroon voted yesterday.

The no-shows among the new joiners were Nauru - which has embarrassed the Australian Government, its main aid donor, by aligning with Japan - and African nations Togo and Gambia.

Three of the other absent delegations were also Japan supporters.