Stop Whaling !!!

"As president, I will ensure that the U.S. provides leadership in enforcing international wildlife protection agreements, including strengthening the international moratorium on commercial whaling. Allowing Japan to continue commercial whaling is unacceptable." - Senator Obama responding to a Greenpeace questionnaire on March 16, 2008 . Support the whales now. . Have we been betrayed? Earlier this week Japan's Fisheries minister announced that Japan wants to resume commercial whaling and called on the U.S. to work together to make this happen. Media reports that a proposal to throw out the ban on commercial whaling was discussed at the meeting of International Whaling Commission currently underway at St. Pete's Beach, Florida. A vote to resume commercial whaling could take place at the IWC Annual General Meeting in Morocco in June. The U.S. delegation to the IWC, hand-picked by President Obama, has given no commitment to vote against the resumption of commercial whaling. Refusal to stand up against the resumption of commercial whaling would be a total betrayal of the President’s commitment to us. Greenpeace is mounting a massive effort to protect the whales and we need your most generous support - please donate now. This is the most serious threat to the moratorium on commercial whaling that we've seen since Greenpeace fought for and won the moratorium in the 1980's. If President Obama is serious about his commitment to protecting whales, he must make sure his delegation opposes any deal that would legitimize commercial whaling. The president and his representatives at the IWC should instead support a proposal recently made by Australia, which would leave the moratorium intact and finally put an end to Japan's bogus “scientific” whaling in the Southern Ocean. We cannot reward the illegal actions of countries like Japan, Norway and Iceland by legalizing hunting - that's not a compromise; it's giving in for political expediency. Your gift of any amount will help - $5 or $500 - whatever you can afford will enable Greenpeace to continue what we've successfully done for over 30 years - save the whales. Please donate now. Thank you, on behalf of the whales, John Hocevar Oceans Campaign Director P.S. Thank you so much to the hundreds of you who have already given. Now I urge you to go one step further, forward this message to your friends and ask them to take action too there is power in numbers!

702 H Street, NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20001 | 1-800-326-0959 Greenpeace Inc. is a non-profit, tax-exempt, 501(c)(4) organization. As a result of our effective work for new environmental policies, contributions are not tax-deductible.

Japan Engaged In Illegal Whaling

http://www.seashepherd.org/

Whalers fire water at activists in Antarctic Ocean

EXCERPT

Under International Whaling Commission rules, the mammals may be killed for research but not for commercial purposes. Opponents say the Japanese research expeditions are simply a cover for commercial whaling, which was banned in 1986.

The whalers opened up on conservationists on one raft with a water cannon, knocking one man off his feet and leaving him with cuts and bruises, Watson told The Associated Press by satellite phone.

READ FULL STORY HERE

(Australian Customs Service via AP Photo)

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http://members.greenpeace.org/action/start/232/

Ask President Obama to end the whaling and dealing

I used the above link to send a message to President Obama (I doubt he'll get it) and I got this canned response:

"U.S. Department of State" to XXXXX

11:41am

Recently you requested personal assistance from our on-line support
center. Below is a summary of your request and our response.

Thank you for contacting the State Department.

Subject
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Ask President Obama to end the whaling and dealing


Discussion Thread
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Response (Support Agent) - 02/02/2009 11:41 AM
Thank you for your interest in whale conservation. The United States is committed to advancing the global conservation and management of large whale populations through science-based policies and leadership in the International Whaling Commission (IWC). The United States continues to view the commercial whaling moratorium as a necessary conservation measure and believes that lethal scientific whaling is unnecessary in modern whale conservation management. The United States supports the IWC as the only international management body to monitor and regulate whaling and believes the IWC should be preserved as the premiere international forum for resolving current conservation issues, coordinating critical research, and developing international agreement on whale conservation.

Thank you for contacting the U.S. Department of State.


Question Reference #090202-000318
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Date Created: 02/02/2009 11:17 AM
Last Updated: 02/02/2009 11:41 AM
Status: Solved
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The IWC (International Whaling Commission) has their Annual Meeting in Portugal see info below CONTACT THE IWC

61ST ANNUAL AND ASSOCIATED MEETINGS, MADEIRA, PORTUGAL 2009

The 61st Annual Meeting will be held at:

The Pestana Casino Park Hotel Rua Imperatriz D. Amélia 9004-513 Funchal Madeira

Tel: (+351) 291 20 91 00 Fax: (+351) 291 23 20 76 Website

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1. Write, e-mail, or call President Obama and let him know that you want the US to stop Japanese whaling now by withholding support for Japan's seat on the United Nation's Security Council until Japan whaling.

White House Comment Line: (202) 456-2461
White House Fax Line: (202) 456-2461
President Obama e-mail address: president@whitehouse.gov
President Obama mailing address:

President Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
Washington, DC 20500

2. Write or call your US Congressman and Senators and let them know that you want the US to stop Japanese whaling now by withholding support for Japan's seat on the United Nation's Security Council until Japan ends whaling.

US Capitol Switchboard: (202) 224-3121