Keeping whale welfare on the agenda

During the official NGO session today (the fourth day of the IWC meeting), Siri Martinsen, Director of NOAH – for dyrs rettigheter, spoke on behalf of NOAH and WSPA member society Dyrebeskyttelsen Norge. One of the key issues she presented was the cruelty of Norwegian whaling, as the recent investigation by WSPA, NOAH and Dyrebeskyttelsen Norge has clearly shown.

Siri told the meeting: “I wish to briefly refer to a film we captured of a Norwegian whale hunt last month. The film shows an experienced whaler trying to hit and kill a whale under perfect weather conditions - and failing to succeed. We have consulted with external veterinarians and based on the footage the most likely scenario is that the whale was indeed struck and lost. The whaling vessel claims that the whale was not hit, but both scenarios illustrate the same main point: whalers shooting a moving animal from a moving platform cannot reliably achieve an accurate lethal harpoon shot. The margins for error in commercial whaling are simply too high, and so is the suffering inflicted.”

As this year’s meeting is nearing its end, everyone at WSPA is relieved that the compromise deal, which would have condemned 13,000 whales to death over the next 10 years, was not adopted and the commercial whaling ban remains intact.

We’ll be using the coming months to prepare for the IWC Animal Welfare and Ethics workshop, proposed yesterday by the UK delegation. And we will be working hard to ensure that governments around the world act to protect whales, not whaling.

Emily Reeves, WSPA

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

Whale welfare put on the table at the IWC

 

© iStockphoto.com/Brett Atkins

Some good news regarding whale welfare on the third day here at the IWC – a proposal by the UK to host an animal welfare and ethics workshop has been met with overwhelming support from 11 countries.

This is a great opportunity to seriously address the fundamental welfare problems of commercial whaling. The workshop will give the IWC much needed information on international animal welfare science and policies, and help delegates to make enlightened and progressive decisions on the issue.

The UK proposal was supported by Australia, as well as Belgium, Argentina, New Zealand, Ecuador, the Netherlands, Germany, Portugal, Costa Rica, India and Brazil.

It’s great to see another country speak out for the welfare of whales. WSPA is looking forward to working alongside the UK to ensure the workshop is a success - both for the IWC and for whales.

Emily Reeves, WSPA

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

Whales have been granted a reprieve

After two days and more than 30 closed door meetings, the International Whaling Commission (IWC) acknowledged that no consensus will be reached at this meeting on a proposal which threatened to legitimise commercial whaling.

NGOs and the media filed into the meeting room this morning to hear that no deal had been reached. This of course was no surprise to anyone.

The first couple of hours saw country delegates stating one by one their position on the future of the IWC, some offering suggestions on how the IWC could build on the positive foundations which had been laid during the last two years. All agreed that the culture of the IWC had changed. The whaling and conservation countries are now talking and although not necessarily agreeing there seemed to be a willingness to transform the IWC into a fully functioning body.

Minister Garrett spoke early in the session representing very clearly the views of so many Australians – that we must close the door on the proposal which would legitimise commercial whaling.

Several other countries, including Monaco, Costa Rica and Germany, put forward alternative suggestions that included “non-lethal” use of whales such as whale watching.

Minister Garrett acknowledged that there are serious issues but that the IWC still stands as the primary body for the conservation and management of cetaceans. He called on the IWC to find the same strength that led to the creation of the moratorium and stressed that the IWC must move towards being a modern conservation focussed organisation.

Australians can feel confident that our views were heard loud and clear in this year’s IWC meeting.

While we are sorry to hear that no compromise could be reached that would put an end to commercial whaling, WSPA is happy that the whales have been given a reprieve. We are urging the IWC member states to use any “cooling period” to consider the inherent cruelty of whaling and work toward not only maintaining but strengthening the whaling ban.

WSPA will attempt to work with the non-whaling nations to make sure that whales – not whaling – become the future of the IWC.

Emily Reeves, WSPA

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

The IWC plans to shut door on media and NGOs

The IWC has just opened in Agadir in Morocco. To our disappointment the revised adgenda handed to us as we entered the meeting states that it will adjourn later this morning for the remainder of today and tomorrow to allow governments to conduct private closed door meetings. This last minute change in the agenda locks organisations like WSPA, along with the world's media, out of discussions about the proposal which could legitimise the cruel slaughter of thousands of whales.

We'll keep you updated as we hear more.

Emily Reeves

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

Day 1 - IWC Sunday 20th June

Today I arrived in the seaside town of Agadir, on the west coast of Morocco, after a 42 hour journey from Sydney. This week, it plays host to people from all over the globe, who have come here to discuss the future of whaling.

It was great to meet the WSPA reps from the UK and New Zealand. At dinner I also met the WSPA reps from Costa Rica and Norway. This once again reminded me that this is a truly international issue, which is of great concern to people all over the world.

I had a fascinating chat to the Norwegian Society for the Protection of Animals. They say the whaling industry in Norway is very content to stay hidden in the shadow of Japan. And why wouldn't they be? Japan continues to take the media spotlight and most of the heat, while Norway can continue slaughtering innocent whales, with very little attention or condemnation.

The big topic of discussion at dinner was the alarming rumour that has been circulating today. It’s believed the plenary will open tomorrow as normal, but then the delegates will move into closed door meetings from 11am ... where they will and stay until Wednesday! This has all of the NGOs (non-government organisations) extremely worried - because that would mean we won’t be able to hear what’s being discussed.

Although we don't have any information about their agenda; we understand it will possibly focus on a compromise deal to phase out whaling in the Southern Ocean over a ten year period. If this is only directed at Japanese whaling in the Southern Ocean, the concern is that higher quotas may be given to the other two whaling nations.

We won't know anything more until tomorrow. If they do go into closed door meetings, we'll just have to sit tight and hope for any snippets of information we can get from any of the delegates - until they all re-emerge on Wednesday. I'll let you know ...

Sami Lukis

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

On our way to the IWC

Only a few hours until I jump on that plane for Morocco. In my role as ambassador for the Give Whales A Voice campaign, I look forward to taking the voices of Australians opposed to whaling to the IWC, where the future of whales will be discussed over the next week.

I'm so proud and so honoured to have this opportunity to join the fabulous people of WSPA at the IWC. We will spend the next week attending seminars and press conferences and making sure the Australian position against whaling is clear. And you can read all about it through my regular updates here.

This year, it's more important than ever, that our voices are heard at the IWC. For the first time in two decades, the IWC will be seriously considering a compromise deal, which would legalise commercial whaling and overturn the 20 year ban on whaling. We cannot let this happen - because there is no humane way to kill a whale. It's a disgusting, inhumane, horrific act. These beautiful animals are suffering.

It’s not too late to add your support to WSPA’s campaign, if you haven’t done this already. It will only take one minute of your time today to speak out against whaling and Give Whales A Voice. We’re taking these Australian voices to Morocco in a speech we're presenting at the IWC. I'll be there in person and I promise your voices will be heard!

Thank you so much for your support.
Sami Lukis

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

This cruelty cannot continue

Japan started its summer whaling hunt in the north-west Pacific this week, hoping to kill 100 sei whales, 50 bryde's whales and 10 sperm whales before late August.

Sperm whale fluke © Claire Bass

While Japan continues to kill whales under the guise of ‘scientific research’, the International Whaling Commission will be voting on whether to legitimise commercial whaling. If the vote is a yes, the IWC will effectively reward the whaling nations for having ignored the whaling ban for over 25 years.

With just over a week to go before the IWC meeting and this all-important vote, the hunt is a sad reminder of the need for our voices to be heard. By taking the voices of Australians to the IWC to highlight the cruelty of whaling, we hope the actions of the whaling nations will be recognised as inhumane and that countries will vote no to the dangerous proposal.

So if you haven’t already, please spare a few moments of the long weekend to add your voice to the thousands of Australians who have already recorded a word to Give Whales A Voice.

Every word counts. So if you’ve recorded yours already, please make sure your friends and family have too.

Emily Reeves, WSPA

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

Why Our Voices Need to be Heard at the IWC

The International Whaling Commission (IWC) is responsible for the management of whaling. At its annual meeting at the end of this month, it will vote on a deal that could legitimise commercial whaling.

Complicating the issue with numbers, the proposed deal does nothing to address the fact that whaling is inherently cruel. If passed, it would allow Japan, Iceland and Norway to legally kill annual quotas of whales. 

I’m going to the meeting this month to speak out for whales and to highlight that the unavoidable cruelty of whaling is being completely overlooked. To find out why I need your help with this and how you can make a difference, take a look at this short video clip.



Please Give Whales A Voice and help spread the word – we need to collect as many voices as we can before 21 June.

Emily Reeves, WSPA

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

Protecting Whales, Not Whaling

Have you been whale watching? I haven’t, yet, but I was lucky enough to see two beautiful humpback whales at Bondi last year. They were hypnotic. We were all transfixed as they breached and flicked their magnificent tails again and again. They took my breath away.

An experience like that makes it so hard to believe that many of the majestic whales we see swim past our shores will return to the Antarctic to face a slow and agonising death at the hands of whalers later this year.

But that’s why I’m writing this now. If we can get the message across that whaling is inhumane, if we at WSPA can gather the support of Australians to say no to this cruelty, I believe we can change the direction of the whaling debate.

You see it’s not all about numbers. Yes we need to protect whales from extinction. But there is a more urgent need to protect our whales from the cruel and unnecessary whaling industry. Just one whale killed is one too many because there is no humane way to kill a whale at sea.

Recent WSPA research suggests 18 to 24 year olds are less concerned about whaling than older Australians. I don’t believe that they don’t care. I believe they’re frustrated. And is it any wonder when year on year the International Whaling Commission, the body responsible for managing whaling, simply debates how many whales can be killed?

That’s why I’ve been speaking to the media this week. (You can see me on Channel Ten’s The Circle here). And that’s why we all need to speak out on behalf of whales. If we don’t do that now, the IWC could agree a deal to legalise commercial whaling next month.

We can’t let that happen. With the support of Optus, we’ve launched our Give Whales a voice campaign. By recording your word at givewhalesavoice.com.au you can help us tell the IWC that Australians will not stand for whaling.

After all, shouldn’t we be protecting whales, not whaling?


Louise Fitzsimons, WSPA

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