WSPA press conference tells IWC whaling must end

The WSPA press conference at the IWC today was a great success. There was a huge media turnout and plenty of representatives from other animal welfare organisations. The arrival of our Environment Minister Peter Garrett certainly sparked a media frenzy.

First, Marine Mammal Programmes Manager, Joanna Toole, spoke about WSPA's position on whaling and the premise that any whale killed is one too many - because there is no humane way to kill a whale.

Next, NSPA spoke about the numbers of whales being killed in Norway and the estimated kill times. Following years of frustration by being denied access to official data, NSPA sent their own film crew out to video an actual hunt. This video was played at the press conference. It showed a whale being hunted and harpooned in calm waters in broad daylight and still it wasn't an instant kill. It took a minimum of 22 minutes - and possibly up to two hours - for that whale to die.

There is no better way to show that the debate on whaling should not be solely focused on numbers, but instead the welfare of these animals and the incredibly inhumane way in which they are slaughtered. The proposed compromise deal being discussed behind closed doors here now considers a reduction in the number of whales being killed. But this is not enough. We cannot accept anything less than a complete ban on all whaling.

Bridget Vercoe from WSPA New Zealand spoke next, reinforcing the New Zealand public’s strong opposition to whaling and its inherently cruel nature.

Then WSPA Australia’s Emily Reeves spoke about Australia's commitment to putting an end to all whaling. Emily spoke with so much passion and had the room captivated by the very strong message of not just WSPA, but all Australians being opposed to whaling. This was followed by the premiere of the Give Whales A Voice campaign video, created using the recordings of thousands of Australian voices.

As an Aussie, it was a very proud moment - hearing so many Aussie voices in a speech which presented a very clear message to the IWC delegates ... that whaling is inherently cruel and it must be stopped. The voices were accompanied by a video, in which the written words of the speech created a picture of a whale onscreen. It was a clever, eye catching and incredibly moving presentation. In fact it was so good, there was a spontaneous round of applause from the room when it finished.

Mr Garrett finished the press conference with a brilliant speech - once again reinforcing the Government's opposition to whaling and supporting the Australian position on putting an end to whaling.

One of the WSPA team said there were more people at our press conference today, than she's seen at any other held at the IWC over the last four years. Let's just hope the people who attended get the WSPA message out. And more importantly, let's hope the delegates listen.

The message is simple. The IWC simply cannot consider putting an end to the whaling ban.

Sami Lukis

You can help to Give Whales A Voice today! Together anything is possible.