Australia to stop the Japanese whaling?

[Ukwildlifeo]

Australia will send a patrol ship and aircraft to monitor Japan's whaling fleet off Antarctica, the government in Canberra has said.

Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said the vessels would collect evidence to assess whether legal action could be taken against the whalers.

Australia would also lead a formal international protest against Japan over the issue, the minister said.

There is hope yet! Good old Australia

here

[naturelover]

what fantastic news,three cheers for the australians hip hip hooray,hip hip hooray, hip hip hooray,good on them i hope they stop it.

[wyevilla]

A pity that our Government feels unable to take a similar stance.

[PMG]

Originally Posted by Ukwildlifeo

There is hope yet! Good old Australia

here

Thats the best thing I've heard for ages - now why can't our lot do the same - cos they don't think it matters - they can't see beyond London Bridge - oh for goodness sake it makes me so mad - thank goodness for the Aussies

Pauline

[Blackbrook Eye]

If they pull this one off, I won't mind so much when they beat us at cricket. If we were allowed to vote where our tax money goes, our government would take notice of popular opinion once in a while, instead of letting the minorities dictate what happens.

[Wild-Woman]

That's very good news. I certainly hope the Aussies do take them on. Perhaps this will spur other nations into action against this dreadful slaughter. Perhaps our own may even get their finger out!

[tufftie]

That's very good news - fingers crossed then. Our government wont do anything because everything they do is geared up to making profit - even the educations system! (i'll stop myself getting on the soapbox just now though!)

[demicav]

That's great news.

[Ukwildlifeo]

Originally Posted by wyevilla

A pity that our Government feels unable to take a similar stance.

That was my thought to start with but to be fair Australia is ALOT closer than we are to the antarctic. Id love to have our ships down there to. The International protest they mention will include us as we are the main anti-whaling nation after Australia. Does make you wonder what would happen if they started whaling of our coast. Even if the british navy didnt send a fleet, I imagine more than a few of the public would...

[Stewy]

The greenpeace ship is on the move too.

Defending Whales

[wyevilla]

Originally Posted by Ukwildlifeo

That was my thought to start with but to be fair Australia is ALOT closer than we are to the antarctic. Id love to have our ships down there to. The International protest they mention will include us as we are the main anti-whaling nation after Australia.

True, but I do get frustrated that our Government never seems to act for any moral purpose - just toadies to the more powerful nation
and is only interested in targets and short-term profit.

I suppose I would have liked even a small gesture such as the antarctic survey vessel in close attendance offering support to the Aussies. (I never thought I'd say that!!!)

[kml]

Good on them.Will watch for updates.There is apparently another group in the area aswell as Greenpeace.Hopefully one of them will be able to do something,fingers crossed.

[paulchandler6]

From what I understand the Aussies are sending a Frigate to shadow the Japanese fleet to take video and see if they can gather evidence of any illegalities that they may commit. Unfortunately The whaling they plan to do is not illegal under international law and I beleive has been sanctioned by the IWC (but what do they know).
Also Greenpeace and other organisations will have a presence there to try and disrupt the fleet as much as possible, but its a hard job for them and dangerous. Especially as the Greenpeace inflatables try to get between the whaling ships and the whale being hunted. Also the processing ships are big.

As someone said earlier that we would not send any warships to the area (although I feel we should). Mainly because it would not be cost effective and in the national economic interest. Not to mention the political fallout with an economic power such as Japan.
I believe though its time to take a stand and stop these irresponsible countries from whaling and that includes the pirate whalers that are out there.

Good luck to the Aussies and Greenpeace out there (wish I were out there with them).

Paul

[Stewy]

A bit of good news.

BBC NEWS | World | Asia-Pacific | Japan drops humpback whale hunt

[aeshna5]

Originally Posted by Stewy

A bit of good news.

BBC NEWS | World | Asia-Pacific | Japan drops humpback whale hunt

I heard this on the radio. At least some good news- we just need to halt the unnecessary slaughter of the other species now!

[demicav]

Just heard on the news that the Japs have decided not to hunt Humpbacks this year but to continue with the hunt of 1000 other Whales.

[Blackbrook Eye]

Originally Posted by demicav

Just heard on the news that the Japs have decided not to hunt Humpbacks this year but to continue with the hunt of 1000 other Whales.

Just shows that if enough people shout loud enough things do happen, now lets hear it for the thousand or so Minke and Fin whales, which are still in severe danger from the barbarian hoards.

[paganangel]

And about time too

[PMG]

Originally Posted by paganangel

And about time too

Yes! Yes! Result! Now what about stopping them killing 1,000 other whales

I've no doubt the Japenese might think we are interferring and altering their cultural heritage - but there is no justification for eating endangered animals of any kind from anywhere: all these animals belong on the planet and its every country's responibilty to look after their wildlife and not slaughter it.... the same goes for the killing of passerines on the continent and the killing gorillas for bush meat in Africa. The only exception I can concede to would be Inuits killing and eating seals and caribou - it would be difficult for them to keep domestic livestock!!

Pauline

[demicav]

I think that the Inuit tribes that live in the Arctic are permitted to take so many Whales a year to sustain their way of life. Although methods of hunting are still rather primitive this is how these people have always lived and only take what they need, unlike the awful commercial Whaling industry which have threatened the existence of species that these people rely on to survive.

[PMG]

Originally Posted by demicav

I think that the Inuit tribes that live in the Arctic are permitted to take so many Whales a year to sustain their way of life. Although methods of hunting are still rather primitive this is how these people have always lived and only take what they need, unlike the awful commercial Whaling industry which have threatened the existence of species that these people rely on to survive.

Yes demicav that's what I meant - I'd forgotten that they take a few whales also - but that's right isn't it - they take to sustain their own lives. The same with other native peoples - folks hunting and killing their own food shouldn't under normal circumstanaces decimate what they live off - common sense says you don't kill and eat a natural species into extinction.

Pauline