New whaling season imminent

With a new Government in place, it's an important time for animal welfare. And with the Japanese whaling season imminent, whaling will once again take place in the Southern Ocean under the guise of scientific research.

The launch of the Japanese whaling fleet brings whaling back to the attention of the world's media. On the 5th November we saw the first worldwide Anti -Whaling Day, including peaceful protests in Australian capital cities - more info here: www.wwawd.org.

The start of the hunting season is a harsh reminder of how crucial it is that Australia maintains its strong stance against commercial and scientific whaling.

So I'm looking forward to meeting with the new Minister for the Environment Tony Burke, whose remit will cover whaling. It is so important for us to keep giving whales a voice in a climate where further compromises to whale welfare could be made. We'll be working to make sure this happens and I'll keep you updated over the coming months.

Rachel Smith, WSPA

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