The mussels taste great but the whales are not safe yet!
 Japan plans to kill 50 humpback whales |
I just cooked up this lovely dish this evening... mussels in a tomato based sauce with lots of chili and garlic. I used green lipped mussels from New Zealand... produced by Sealord. This is the company that used to have links with the Japanese whaling fleet but thanks to the pressure mounted by NGOs like Greenpeace and Earth Island Institute their parent company Nissui pulled their funding from the fleet. So now, Japanese whaling is a fully governmental affair. That's got to hurt somewhat but sadly not much has changed. I can eat Sealord mussels now without feeling guilty but the whales are still not safe.
In the last few weeks more countries that will probably vote against whale conservation have joined the IWC. Although the moratorium is not at risk (yet) many measures that currently protect whales and dolphins may get the chop if the pro-whaling nations get their way. We all know that they succeed in winning pro-whaling votes from other countries because they bribe them financially but this blatant corruption of the IWC continues. Additionally proposals including the creation of a South Atlantic whale sanctuary (led by Brazil) are unlikely to succeed.
It's a frustrating situation to say the least and one that I often find very depressing but despite the fact that the majority of people on this planet are against the commercial exploitation of the great whales - the needless hunts continue and there seems very little we can do about it.
The IWC meeting begins this Friday in St Kitts. Like many other small island states, St. Kitts and Nevis supports whaling in exchange for Japanese fisheries aid.
There was suggestion last year that the Convention for the Regulation of Whaling (1946) should be updated. There was also a resolution put forward for a Ministerial meeting to try and tie whaling to other issues such as trade or Japan's bid to join the United Nations. Apparently the IWC members reached a deadlock in a February meeting in the U.K because the pro-whalers would not accept the restrictions of the RMS (Revised Management Scheme). So I wonder what will happen at this meeting.
Japan intends to double their take of minke whales in the Southern Hemisphere in 2006. They also plan to kill 70 endangered fin whales over the next 3 years and 50 endangered humpback whales in 2008 - all in Southern Ocean Sanctuary. Japan also continues to increase whaling in the North Pacific. They now kill 220 Minke, 50 Bryde's, 100 Sei, and 10 Sperm whales here for "science". Iceland recently announced that they plan to take 50-70 minke whales during the 2006 summer season. This is up from 39 whales in 2005. The Norwegians continue to set their own whaling quotas and have already set this year's at 1,052 minke whales, which is up by 300 whales compared to last year.
The future does not look bright.
Stay tuned into the proceedings by following the Greenpeace blog.
Lisa.
Comments
Very good reading. Peace until next time.
WaltDe
Posted by: WaltDe | September 1, 2006 03:07 AM
I have some news from Norway.
The whalers only succeeded in to kill about 530 minkes.
Now the whalers and the scientists and gov't are at loggerheads with each other.
A senior gov't official stated it's difficult to defend the Norwegian official aggressive policy internationally on marine mammal hunts if the whalers only manage to hunt about 530 minkes.
This has angered the Head of the Minke Whaler's Association , who stated that the Norwegian Gov't chief advisor on whaling issues is not welcome to the Whaler's annual meeting if he is only to spout IWC stats.
The IWC wants a hunt that is spread out in all sea areas and not concentrated only to coastal areas. This year no minke was killed in " the wilderness" eg the Jan Mayen zone because of bad weather and expensive fuel costs.
The Head continues" the Gov't and scientists may succeed in what Greenpeace didn't work out, namely to stop Norwegian whaling. "
The whalers are afraid that the IWC regulations will force the whalers out of coastal areas.
Already two young whalers have quit the whaling business.
The head continues" there are enormous amounts of humpbacks and Fin whales out in the capelin and herring grounds, that must be culled to " save the fisheries". Too much attention is payed to overfishing and pirate fishing. So the whalers plans for the near future is :
1) to leave the IWC
2) increased minke whale quotas
3)hunt Fin whales and Humpback whales
4) Whaling only in coastal areas
5) Norway will not follow international advice on whaling( the IWC) but rely on their own scientists
Posted by: Ann Novek | September 2, 2006 11:41 AM