Anti-whaling nations secure voting majority

[Omaha Steve]

Source: Sydney Morning Herald

Anti-whaling nations secure voting majority


Andrew Darby
May 19, 2007

THE annual battle over the lifting of a moratorium on whaling has swung emphatically in favour of anti-whaling nations with the confirmation of Greece as the latest recruit to the International Whaling Commission.

A clear majority is again within grasp of opponents to whaling at the meeting of the commission in Alaska on May 28, when it will review whale conservation and management.

Pro-whaling nations won an important symbolic victory at last year's meeting, when, by a single vote, they passed a resolution saying the moratorium on commercial whaling was no longer necessary.

But a diplomatic offensive led by Britain to recruit more anti-whaling nations paid dividends in Europe, while environmentalists succeeded in Latin America.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/news/whale-watch/antiwhaling-nations-secure-voting-majority/2007/05/18/1178995408831.html

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We gave $ to help start a whale breeding ground sanctuary off the coast of Western Mexico. These are beautiful creatures that we share the world with.

[BrklynLiberal]

1. So good to read some GOOD news about this planet and its inhabitants for a change.

Thanks.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

2. Does this vote mean anything?

Pro-whaling nations, like Japan, just continue to send out their whaling fleets with the big factory/freezer/canner ships. The whale catch they call "research". The research ends up in restaurants.

There's no real enforcement, so it's just a feel-good outcome.

Edit to add: I guess it does some good, keeping the complying nations out of the trade.

[yewberry]

5. It also keeps us from losing ground.

Last year, Japan offered large aid packages in exchange for joining the IWC and voting with them. Togo, Palau, the Solomons, Kiribati, Nauru, the Marshalls, and Tuvalu voted with them to end the moratorium on commercial whaling.

So, yes, you're right that they'll keep whaling under the guise of research, but at least the ban will stay in place.

[zonkers]

3. kick. good post, OH.

[pinto]

4. Good news. However toothless the IWC may be, at times, it still holds

a bully pulpit in the national community.

LIST OF MEMBER NATIONS (Total 75)

Antigua & Barbuda
Argentina
Australia
Austria
Belgium
Belize
Benin
Brazil
Cambodia
Cameroon
Chile
China, People's Rep of
Costa Rica
Côte d'Ivoire
Croatia
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Dominica
Ecuador
Finland
France
Gabon
The Gambia
Germany
Greece
Grenada
Guatemala
Guinea,
Rep of Hungary
Iceland
India
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Japan
Kenya
Kiribati
Korea, Rep of
Luxembourg
Mali
Marshall Islands, Rep of
Mauritania
Mexico
Monaco
Mongolia
Morocco
Nauru
The Netherlands
New Zealand
Nicaragua
Norway
Oman
Palau
Panama
Peru
Portugal
Russian Federation
San Marino
St. Kitts & Nevis
St. Lucia
St. Vincent & The Grenadines
Senegal
Slovak Republic
Slovenia
Solomon Islands
South Africa
Spain
Suriname
Sweden
Switzerland
Togo
Tuvalu
UK
USA

http://www.iwcoffice.org/commission/iwcmain.htm

[flvegan]

10. And Ecuador is a new one, and very much anti-whaling.

[Divernan]

6. K&R

nt

[xchrom]

7. recommend

[NCarolinawoman]

8. Thank you, Omaha Steve! Every little bit helps!

:thumbsup: :)

[Judi Lynn]

9. Hope progress will continue, beginning with this first step. The whalers must be persuaded

to realize the world has changed too much to allow them to continue thoughtless, cruel, and destructive behavior toward the planet's rapidly disappearing whale population.

At some point people will need to see that just because previous generations did things like this they DON'T actually inherit the same opportunities. It's a far different world now, and they should have grown up along with everyone else, and learned a sense of responsibility. Some mistakes are irreversible.

[flvegan]

11. Check out Operation Ragnarok

This is persuasion:
http://www.seashepherd.org/ragnarok/

[Judi Lynn]

13. My God! The deadline is August 9, That's right away. Hoping these people are successful.

So glad to get this link from you. Will be useful for frequent future reference.

These people have guts, and they've got real value. They are lightyears beyond the scum they are attempting to block.

They are apparently the last hope against the depraved, greedy assholes killing off the last of the whales.

[Redstone]

12. Good news, indeed.

Redstone