Read the latest on the whaling issue http://veganic.net/updates.html
Read the latest on the whaling issue http://veganic.net/updates.html
Thanks for the update.
WSPA and HSUS also have some news abut it as well.
"None so blind as those who do not see, none so deaf as those who do not hear."
Wow. That's a facinating link. One part I found particularly interesting was how male English fish are turning female from the release of female hormones from contraceptives in sewage.
I also have to hand it to you Brits for the organization and acomlishments of AR activists.
Hi John, Glad you liked the link - I update news items a few times a week there. Incidentally I have to hand it to AR activists wherever they are. (I was a Brit but now an Aussie though I often use a yahoo.co.uk address). I've just posted a msg here on Vegan Forum about PETA and KFC.
On the same subject, it was in the news recently that the government (UK) has brought in around 40 special prosecutors to help monitor the animal rights movement and assist the police to crack down against animal rights activists.
I have heard from two people today that America is supporting a resumption of whaling!!! Has anyone else heard this!! I was on the news today and I have heard it from people in two states here in Australia.
"if compassion is extreme, then call me an extremist"
Japan in plan to expand whaling
Japan is proposing to expand its controversial whaling research programme.
The plan would see Japan nearly double its catch of minke whales and start catching humpback and fin whales.
The plan will be submitted to the International Whaling Commission in May, though it does not need approval.
Please read the following and sign your name to help save these beautiful creatures. here
I LOVE whales. They're SO beautiful. Absolutely amazing.
Signed with love.
Eve
Signed
Signed! Thanks, Peas'nHominy.
signed
sidenote: did you know that they are called the "right" whale because they were considered the "right" whale to hunt? Being slow, floats when killed, and having high oil content. Sick...I say we rename them.
"A woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle"
Irina Dunn :D
"We are not human-beings, we are human-becomings"
Roger Ames :D
Signed.
I knew that Happiness, but maybe they are the "right" whale to save now?
A bit rattled
How horrible about the Right whale-I didn't know that
i signed it too.
Today's newspaper states that more than 4000 whales have been slaughtered in Australian waters by the Japanese since sanctuary for whales was established in 2000. Now the Japanese ships are back but Oz is making no attempt to stop them, simply videoing and obtaining information. Seems Australian wants to stay on friendly terms with Japan. Doesn't Japan want to stay on friendly terms with Australia? The Japanese say it is for scientific research, though we are all aware that these whales end up on plates in Tokyo restaurants. Moreover, Japan has offered financial assistance to other countries who vote in their favour at the Int. Whaling Commission, even countries who are nowhere near Australian waters.
Australians are cranky about this, especially as the overwhelming majority of Aussies live somewhere on some part of Australian's coast, and certainly where I live, heaps of tourists like to come whale-watching at certain times of the year.
Eve
Labours' Kevin Rudd has urged the government to use its' foreign aid policy to pressure small pacific nations to reconsider their stance on the resumption of commercial whaling. The report states that Japan has used aid to influence them to back the proposal, and Australia should therefore imply that our aid could be reduced if they don't have a long hard think about it.
http://www.theage.com.au/news/Nation...533583019.html
Of course, the government will do fk all about it, because they are total scum. I mean how many fkn whales do the japanese have to kill for research? WTF are they researching? I've never seen a report outlining a new breakthrough thanks to chopping up a dead whale. Are they researching how long it takes for a species to bounce back if 4000 per year are slaughtered?
Boycott Japanese products!
Today there is a humpback frolicking in Port Phillip Bay, where the city of Melbourne is located.
Yay for whales. Last year I saw several as I had a view of the ocean from my flat and there is nothing like eating breakfast on your front porch whilst watching whales swim past.
Brilliant!!adam antichrist
(John Howard called them "hunchback whales" the other day, that guy is so pathetic! )
A bit rattled
Cal
I had the fine pleasure of seeing a Gray Whale mother and calf while out on the boat I work on....hows that for a job??? I get paid to look at awesome sealife!
"A woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle"
Irina Dunn :D
"We are not human-beings, we are human-becomings"
Roger Ames :D
I can see why you are called "Happiness" .Happiness
Hahahahaha! thanks feline! I used to be called Sunshine but it morphed into Happiness. It takes me very little to be happy.feline01
Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.
Abraham Lincoln (1809 - 1865)
All I can say about life is, Oh God, enjoy it!
Bob Newhart (1929 - )
The foolish man seeks happiness in the distance, the wise grows it under his feet.
James Oppenheim
"A woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle"
Irina Dunn :D
"We are not human-beings, we are human-becomings"
Roger Ames :D
You should teach a "happiness" course, many people, particularly Americans, seem to have forgotten how to be happy.
Not a bad idea feline. First I would have everyone hug eachother for at least 10 seconds (I never understand why people dont spend more time making physical contact with eachother...it feels good!). Second I would have everyone look at themselves in a full-length mirror and say 10 good things about themselves. Third I would have everyone sit outside in the sun and talk about anything they want but only positive or uplifting comments could be made (too many people lack self-confidence ). So maybe I will start a "Happiness Clinic" where the cure for all is acceptence and uncontitional love.
"A woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle"
Irina Dunn :D
"We are not human-beings, we are human-becomings"
Roger Ames :D
John Howard has written to his Japanese counterpart Junichiro Koizumi saying that while Australia places great store on the friendship between the two countries, it disagrees with Japan's position on whaling.ABC News Australia
"if compassion is extreme, then call me an extremist"
A new 44-page WWW report says that Japan's scientific whaling programs is a cover-up for commercial slaughter and sale of the mammals' meat.
Read article here http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems...6/s1390675.htm
Eve
Whales and dolphins being killed around Britain's coasts by military sonar equipment. The research on corpses of stranded whales, at the Zoological Society of London, indicates that they have suffered a kind of decompression sickness after surfacing too fast when the sonar interferes with their navigation systems. Tomorrow an alliance of more than 30 conservation and animal welfare groups, including the WWF and the RSPCA, will hand in a petition to the Secretary of State for Defence, John Reid, demanding an inquiry.
As if that's not enough, today's meeting of the International Whaling Commission in South Korea will discuss the increasing pressure on whale populations, which includes a call to resume commercial whaling, and Japan has the numbers to get what they want. All these nations, including a new one to this Commission, Nauru which is totally supported by Australia (after Oz took all their phosphate), are giving their votes to Japan, no doubt for more $$$$$$$.
http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/env...p?story=648011
Eve
Well it turned out that Japan didn't get all the supporters it expected, but of course as they are whaling for "scientific" purposes, they can still increase their quota, but hopefully will not now include the humpback or the minkies.
As one commentator on the radio said, "although any form of killing can be looked upon as inhumane, but there is no way at all that killing a whale can possibly be humane." There are still a few more voting sessions to come, so we can only bite our fingernails until we know the full outcome.
Eve
Great to read in today's 'Qld Sunday Mail' that our wonderful Captain Paul Watson said he will pull out all stops to end the planned cull of whales in Australia's Southern Ocean. It seems the Sea Shepherd is making last-minute preparations for the journey. Of course the paper said that 'this radical American green group are branded eco-terrorists by whalers'.
So what do you call the Japanese whalers who are set to defy the IWC and double the cull of minke whales? There is special anxiety in Australia that the world's only white humpback whale - Migaloo - will fall victim to the explosive harpoons.
The editorial of the Mail says that the Japanese are building a market for the future by introducing schoolchildren to the taste by dishing up 60,000 whale meals at 280 schools to children who have never tasted the flesh. The editorial says that far from being scientific, this reveals Japan's true intentions - fostering whale consumption.
Eve
ugh! this is so upsetting
http://news.sympatico.msn.ca/OddNews...etect=&abc=abc
such a beautiful creature, how could anyone eat it
"you dont have to be tall to see the moon" - african proverb
Coz people are ignorant toward nature, but responsive to their taste buds (god knows why whale would be appetising though...)
Deplorable..... and to think other countries try so hard to save the whales. I'm sure that the poor Japanese liberal protestors who oppose this will be arrested. There is no freedom of speech in Japan compared to most western nations.
Oh, seriously... kill the whales to study them, then make them into burgers? Some red light is going off in my mind that is also shrieking "That is SO wrong!" I don't know what to think...
"Euclid Alone Has Looked on Beauty Bare"
-Edna St. Vincent Millay
Gross! Of course because some will take refuge in the old cliche that humans are different from other animals. To prove mans superiority that animals don't feel pain.
...and get a load of the "but its our culture" crap. Puh-leeze! Human slavery was "our culture" here in the states, but that was SO obviously WRONG. And I could go on and on with more examples, but I'd be preaching to the choir here.
Disgusting!
'Sea Shepherd News
News Releases
06/26/2005
Sea Shepherd Appeals to Greenpeace for a United Effort to Stop Illegal Japanese Whaling
Sea Shepherd Conservation Society is appealing to the Greenpeace Foundation to join forces with Sea Shepherd to oppose illegal Japanese whaling.
“The time to intercept the Japanese is this year. We must hunt them down, intercept them, and obstruct their illegal operations. We cannot allow them to slaughter endangered humpbacks and fins, and we cannot allow them to kill double their quota on minke whales,” said Captain Paul Watson, the founder and president of the international Sea Shepherd Conservation Society based in Friday Harbor, Washington.'
http://www.seashepherd.org/news/media_050626_1.html
If you have ever thought of joining, or of donating some money to Sea Shepherd, now is a good time.
Surely a joke....
'US whales may be brought to UK
Grey whales have been extinct in the UK for 400 years
Dozens of whales could be flown to Cumbria from California under a plan by two academics to reintroduce a rare species to the UK. '
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cumbria/4692193.stm
hmmmm, perhaps they mean sperm whales? Sperm are very small...Kevster
Fairly sympathetic look at the current 'harvesting' of whales by small aboriginal groups of people (awful word when applied to animals), but they mention Japans attempts at coercing others into supporting their own whaling plans.
Also despite traditional practices still it shows that matters of society (alcoholism, drugs, unemployment) are still very much present in a society that has kept some of its traditions in whaling with those that have not. (Like the Makah)
'The whaling debate: Arctic lament
The Inupiat people have hunted whales for 1,200 years. Now the global battle over the future of these huge animals may also bring their traditional way of life to an end. Andrew Buncombe reports from Barrow, Alaska
Published: 13 October 2005'
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/...icle319146.ece
'Sea Shepherd News
News Releases
12/06/2005
Whale Killers and Whale Defenders on a Collision Course
Nine ships are now heading towards the remote coast of Antarctica. Six of these ships are intent upon a deadly mission to slaughter hundreds of protected Antarctic piked whales and 10 endangered fin whales. Three ships are on a mission to prevent the cruel and illegal whale kill.'
http://www.seashepherd.org/news/media_051206_1.html
A couple of people I know have met up with Capt Paul Watson in Melbourne. anyone who has read of his incredible adventures to save baby seals, or seal pups, will be aware of how much he has experienced. Let's hope the confrontation with the whalers will be successful without being painful, especially with the Japanese fleet sandwiched between the Greenpeace and Sea Shepherd ships.
Eve
'Greenpeace Obstructs Sea Shepherd's Efforts in Antarctica
On December 21, the two Greenpeace ships Esperanza and Arctic Sunrise located the Japanese whaling fleet about 240 miles from the position of the Sea Shepherd vessel Farley Mowat.
They did the usual things like take pictures and hang banners. One picture of the Japanese whaling ship Nisshin Maru shows the Japanese hanging their own banner that states "Greenpeace Misleads."
This is actually something that Sea Shepherd and the Japanese whalers can agree on. Greenpeace has deliberately misled Sea Shepherd and betrayed us.
Shane Rattenbury, the expedition leader on the Arctic Sunrise initially refused to post the position of the Japanese fleet to prevent this information getting to Sea Shepherd. He was adamant that Sea Shepherd not find the Japanese fleet. The position was released by Greenpeace after Sea Shepherd was informed of the position from an independent source.
For seven months, Captain Paul Watson has been negotiating with Greenpeace to cooperate in working together to find the Japanese whaling fleet.
"Now we find that instead of cooperating, Greenpeace is being obstructionist and making efforts to deliberately keep us away from the Japanese fleet. It is a mystery to me why they would do this since they know we are capable of shutting down the Japanese whaling operations."
Greenpeace has a large war chest and their ability to locate the Japanese fleet is greater because of the resources they have available to them.
"The problem has been that Greenpeace has been unable to stop the Japanese after a decade of campaigns where they have chased the Japanese ships displaying their protest banners," said Captain Watson. "You would think that after a decade of expensive campaigns that Greenpeace would have realized that the Japanese fleet does not give a damn about protests. Sea Shepherd is not down here to protest, we are down here to enforce international conservation law and to stop the illegal whaling operations of Japan."
The Sea Shepherd ship Farley Mowat is expected to reach the area where Greenpeace has sighted the Japanese fleet in approximately 24 hours.
Captain Paul Watson, (a cofounder of Greenpeace Foundation), and Emily Hunter, (the daughter of the late Robert Hunter, the first President of the Greenpeace Foundation) are both onboard the Sea Shepherd ship Farley Mowat. They are both very disappointed that Greenpeace has decided to take a hostile position to obstruct Sea Shepherd efforts in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary in Antarctica.
Emily Hunter said, "I was born and raised with Greenpeace as the daughter of Greenpeace cofounders Bob and Bobbi Hunter. This is not the Greenpeace of my parents. The people in Greenpeace who are now trying to stop us from confronting the Japanese fleet were not around back then when the first Greenpeace voyages with Paul Watson and my parents first confronted the whalers."
The Sea Shepherd campaign to locate and stop the whalers continues.'
http://www.seashepherd.org/news/media_051221_1.html
Great to see Greenpeace getting more footage of Whale slaughter, isn’t there enough already? Maybe they should spend time doing other things?
Give whales in Australian waters an xmas present, their lives. Read the info below and/or write to the Federal Minister for Environment (details below) demanding him to act to prevent the Japanese Whaling ship from refueling in Tasmania. People are right now at sea risking their lives to stop the slaughter; the least we can do is try and stop this one ship from rejoining the Japanese fleet to illegally harvest these magnificent animals.
URGENT - Please circulate widely.
Yesterday, Australian newspapers reported that one of the whaling ships, the Kaiko Maru, had been granted port access in Hobart to get medical treatment for a crewman suffering acute appendicitis. Senator Campbell said while Australia remained opposed to whaling, it would also help in an emergency at sea.The vessel will need to refuel while it's in Hobart, it needs to clear Australian Customs and various other procedures.
The Government must prevent the ship from returning to the whaling operation after it arrives on Christmas Eve (tomorrow)
Please email Minister Ian Campbell demanding that the pirate whaling vessel Keiko Maru not be given any fuel to go back and kill more whales in Australia's Antarctic Sanctuary - let's get thousands of emails and phone calls to the minister and cc to John Howard.
Senator the Hon. Ian Campbell Minister for the Environment and Heritage Senator for Western Australia
Parliament House, Canberra, ACT 2600
Tel: (02) 6277 7640
Fax: (02) 6273 6101
Email: senator.ian.campbell@aph.gov.au
to email John Howard, Prime Minister go to this link: http://www.pm.gov.au/email.cfm
----- Original Message -----
From: Farley Mowat
To: seashepherdaustralia@gmail.com
Sent: Thursday, December 22, 2005 11:16 PM
Subject: Whale Killer Coming to Hobart
If anyone in Australia can do anything about this ship coming into Hobart, please do.
Japanese vessel Keiko Maru returning to Hobart, Tasmania to drop off sick crew member. ETA in Hobart is 8am on 24th Dec 2005.
Paul Watson
Tora Tora Tora
Sea Shepherd Prepares to Attack the Japanese Whaling fleet in the Antarctic Whale Sanctuary
A Message from Captain Paul Watson onboard the Sea Shepherd ship Farley Mowat
December 23rd, 2005
I am sending this e-mail from our ship the Farley Mowat to a small list of friends and supporters.
We are down off the coast of Antarctica about 180 miles off the Mertz Glacier and the Adelie coast.
We are about five hours from interception of the Japanese whaling fleet. We are presently on an interception course.
I am anticipating a confrontation with the Japanese whalers in a few hours.
Apparently, we have been warned that the Japanese have firearms and that they intend to aggressively resist us. We anticipate that we may sustain some damage but our objective is to shut down their illegal activities and we will risk losing the ship if need be to further that objective.
The crew are ready and eager to engage the Japanese whalers.
We will have a helicopter in the air and three inflatables on the water during the confrontation to film the intervention.
I want you all to know that I am down here with 43 dedicated and courageous volunteers who have given up their holidays with friends and family to be here to defend the Piked and Fin whales from the merciless grenade tipped harpoons of the Japanese fleet.
We anticipate a battle today. I have been working towards this showdown with the Japanese fleet for 25 years. Now at last, their ships are within striking distance and we will do everything we can with the resources at our disposal to shut down their illegal slaughter of these gentle and intelligent creatures.
We may lose our ship and find ourselves in our lifeboats within the next few hours. I am quite sure we will sustain damages.
But I want you to know that there is nowhere in the world that we would rather be at this moment, and that there is nothing else that we can imagine doing other than what we are doing right now.
For this holiday season, we want to give a gift of life to the whales and if we can stop this fleet, if we can stop the killing, we will be very happy.
I want to enter the New Year knowing we have stopped these killers.
For all of you who have supported our efforts, thank-you. You helped to put us here where we want to be. We are grateful.
This is a glorious way to end this year, down here at the bottom of the world amongst magnificent icebergs in a sea of whales, seals, penguins and birds fighting the most ruthless killers in the world.
I hope that within 25 hours, if we still have a ship and if we still have communications that I will be able to report to you the consequences of our intervention.
Happy Holidays
Captain Paul Watson and the crew of the Sea Shepherd ship Farley Mowat.
For further updates contact www.Seashepherd.org
10:00 Hours: P.S. Moments ago, dozens of Piked whales (Minke whales) passed by us clearly agitated and swimming furiously, surfacing to breathe every 30 seconds. The last time I remember seeing this behaviour was when we encountered the Soviet whaling fleet years ago and saw frightened Sperm whales fleeing the area. I take this as a sign that the whalers are very close.
PLEASE FEEL FREE TO PASS ON THIS MESSAGE
My turn of mind is so given to taking things in the absurd point of view that it breaks out in spite of me every now and then.
- Byron
'Update, December 23: They're on the run! The fleet decided they'd had enough after we held them to only 8 whale kills yesterday, and did what they've always done: sailed off at speed to get away from us. But we had a surprise for them. The newest addition to our fleet, the Esperanza, is the first ship we've owned that can match their power. The ship is doing us proud and staying with them. The whalers have spent the last 24 hours running from Greenpeace rather than hunting whales.
One of the catcher boats is heading into Hobart, Australia, on a medical emergency, and our sincere hope is that they arrive quickly and safely. But once there, we hope the government of Australia can find easy, legal means to hinder their departure. All around the world, we've found that port authorities that wanted to make life difficult for Greenpeace could always find a way. It's time to give that treatment to the whalers.'
http://oceans.greenpeace.org/en/the-.../whalers-found
The crewman was airlifted off yesterday and the ship did not come into Hobart.
A protest is still being held on the docks in Hobart this morning.
'Sea Shepherd News
News Releases
12/23/2005
Cowardly Pirate Whalers Flee from the Whaling Grounds - The Sea Shepherd ship Farley Mowat is in Hot Pursuit
The Japanese whaling fleet is on the run. The entire fleet is heading northeast out of the whaling area at 14 knots.
The Sea Shepherd ship Farley Mowat is in pursuit, and was heading towards the area where the whalers were operating when they turned and fled northward.'
http://www.seashepherd.org/news/media_051223_1.html
Hoorahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!! Some whales will still be alive to sing and dance in the water on Christmas day. Warmest wishes to all those aboard Fawley Mount!!
My turn of mind is so given to taking things in the absurd point of view that it breaks out in spite of me every now and then.
- Byron
Just read this...
Update, December 24: After 40 hours on the run, the Japanese fleet has recognised they're not going to shake us, and have resumed whaling, killing 5 minkes. We've been unable to launch inflatables due to rough seas, and are awaiting a break in the weather.
My turn of mind is so given to taking things in the absurd point of view that it breaks out in spite of me every now and then.
- Byron
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