South Korea to Become 4th Nation to Hunt Whales

This announcement is considered a major blow to the campaign to end global whaling. It sucks big time.

Amazon Sells Whale Bacon?

Ewwwww......
And it is, of course, on Amazon's Japan website.

Sea Shepherd Busts Whale Meat Importer

From examiner.com....

Sea Shepherd Conservation Society is just about ready to chalk up a win against a California seafood dealer who imported endangered whale meat from Tokyo and sold it to Califorian restaurants. Today, according to Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, Ginichi Y Ohira was charged in Los Angeles federal court with selling whale meat in violation of the Federal Marine Mammal Protection Act. The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society had run a sting operation to collect evidence related to the serving of whale meat.

Sea Shepherd activists Zoli Teglas and Crystal Galbraith and Charles Hambleton (producer of The Cove) visited The Hump resaurant in Santa Monica and pocketed pieces of suspect meat for formal testing.

Japan Set for Whale Hunt Despite Earthquake and Tsunami

Nothing stops the Japanese whalers!

From Radio New Zealand....

The ABC reports five crews from the town of Ayukawa have joined the hunt, even though the tsunami destroyed Ayukawa Whaing's storage facility and carried its fleet of three whaling vessels hundreds of metres inland, where they remain.

The disaster came shortly after Japan recalled its Antarctic whaling fleet a month early, citing the threat posed by the environmentalist group Sea Shepherd.

A fisheries officials says two whaling vessels have left Kushiro on the east coast of the northern island of Hokkaido and are expected to catch up to 60 minke whales until June.

Petition to Urge Japanese Government to Require Registration of Zoo Animal Handlers

From the Petition Site....please visit and sign.

The Ministry of the Environment is in the process of amending the Japanese animal protection law. The Japanese Association of Zoos and Aquariums (JAZA) has proposed that the Ministry exempt JAZA's members from the current requirement to register as animal handlers with local authorities.

If JAZA member zoos and aquariums (89 zoos and 67 aquariums) are not registered as animal handlers under the Act, there is no other Japanese law that would oversee the operation of JAZA member institutions .The regulation of zoos would be the responsibility of JAZA itself. JAZA does not have the resources necessary to properly monitor their member institutions and they do not have the authority to ensure member compliance with their own guidelines and standards.

Please Continue to Donate for Japanese Relief Effort

We donated to Japan Earthquake Animal Rescue and Support.

From their web site....HEART-Tokushima, Animal Friends Niigata and Japan Cat Network have combined forces to focus information, rescue and support for animals in crisis due to the March 11 Earthquake and Tsunami in northern Japan.

They were mentioned on CNN, they have a Facebook page to which they consistently post, and they are three Japanese groups already on the ground.

Resources for Japanese Animal Rescue

Here's a good link to rescue efforts.

Whales Losing the Will to Live?

I came across this British article from 2008. Very disturbing and sad hypotheses, especially in light of the unconscionable actions (or lack of) by CITES recently.

From the Daily Mail...

The steeply declining number of whales in the world's oceans is causing the remaining creatures to suffer loneliness and 'lose the will the live', a leading expert has claimed.

The psychological impact of over-hunting on the highly intelligent and sociable animals has been identified as the latest threat to the survival of the species...

But now a French scientist has said the majestic mammals - which can reach 80ft in length and weigh the same as a passenger jet - could also suffer from heartbreak.
Paris naturalist Yves Paccalet said: 'It may be that these intelligent animals are so exhausted from their combat with humankind that they have simply have given up the fight.

'And the psychological consequences of our aggression have compromised their will to live.'

Gruesome Photos of Japanese Whale "Processing"

Ugh. This is just yucky to look at.

There's a warning that this is not for the squeamish...

Sea Shepherd Activist Could Face Jail Time in Japan

Pretty serious stuff.

Japan is formally charging Sea Shepherd Captain Peter Bethune with trespassing, carrying a knife, damaging property, forcible obstruction of business and one charge of causing injury. Japan has accused Bethune of illegally boarding (trespassing) the Japanese ship, Shonan Maru II, which is where most of the charges stem. The latter charge arises from an accusation that Bethune threw a jar of butyric acid onto the deck of a Japanese whaling ship, causing an injury to a crew member. This is a very serious charge, and if found guilty, Bethune could face up to 15 years in Japanese jail.

Another Critical Article Directed at CITES

The CITES irresponsible treatment of marine animals made it to Huffington Post too. This article is by the President of the Blue Frontier Campaign.

I'm glad others share my disgust with CITES and the UN. Hopefully, regular citizens will read this and not just other activists. (I forwarded an article about this to my book club members. Knowing them, I bet they were hoping for fish and chips instead!)

Christian Science Monitor Calls for Endangered Species Hour

"Earth Hour" was held yesterday. People were supposed to turn their lights off for an hour. I like this opinion piece from the Christian Science Monitor which calls for an "Endangered Species Hour."

It's in response to the pathetic CITES conference which basically screwed marine animal protection. The Christian Science Monitor rightly points out that citizens and consumers need to get involved in endangered species protection, because at the CITES level, it's all about money and international politics.

Japan, which imports most of the tuna, led the fight against a proposed ban. Nations where livelihoods depend on fishing the tuna and on harvesting other marine species held sway over countries, including the US, that pointed to scientific evidence of drastically dwindling populations.

Commerce vs. conservation is often at the center of environmental battles, whether they involve global warming or the spotted owl.

Over the years, environmentalists have learned that arguing solely on behalf of other life forms is not enough. They’ve had to earn degrees in economics and sociology to learn to marry their causes with the human one – explaining, for instance, that humans depend on bats to pollinate or on coral reefs to support other marine life that is advantageous to mankind.

In Qatar, the concern about lost livelihoods during difficult economic times was particularly acute. But jobs that depend on harvesting endangered species will quickly disappear if those species are not protected.

No Marine Animal Protection from CITES

The opening line in this USA Today article says it all, "Every proposal to protect marine species at the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species meeting in Doha, Qatar was voted down."

It's unfortunate, but true, thanks primarily to Japan and China.

Asian Countries Score Another Victory Over Marine Animals

Delegates to the CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) conference in Qatar voted down three of four proposals to protect sharks. This really sucks.

According to the New York Times...

China, by far the world’s largest consumer of the cartilaginous fish, for sharkfin soup, and Japan, which has battled to keep the convention from being extended to any marine species, led the opposition.

Japan Mad about Banning Bluefish Tuna Fishing

I'm not surprised considering their attitude about whale meat. Apparently, it's all "cultural imperialism." Considering Japan's history in East Asia, it is seriously ironic to me that they throw the word "imperialism" around. Give me a break. (The article's writer is a bit more objective about this than I am.)

By the way, the proposed ban was defeated. We'll see how long this fishery lasts before it too goes extinct.

Marine Life Top of CITES Meeting Agenda

Oh look, more meetings.

From Al Jazeera...

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, or Cites that opened in the Qatari capital on Saturday will be discussing 42 proposals during the next two weeks.

Apart from issues like combating elephant poaching for ivory in Africa and banning trade in polar bear skins, those focusing on sharks and tuna are likely to be among the most contentious.

On its agenda is Monaco's proposal to have a complete ban on the international commercial trade in Atlantic bluefin tuna.
Australia and Japan are among the countries refusing to back a total ban.

Interesting to see Japan and Australia united on some issues, in contrast to their conflict over whaling.

Japanese Article on Paul Watson of Sea Shepherd

A surprisingly uncritical look at Paul Watson by a Japanese writer for the Japan Times.

New Zealand, Australia to Conduct Whale Research Too

Good news! It's non-lethal.

New Zealand and Australia are joining forces to carry out research on whales using non-lethal methods, in an attempt to challenge Japan's hunting programme.

Eighteen scientists will set sail for Antarctica next month to study minke, humpback and blue whale populations.

They will also be assessing the impact of climate change on the whales.

The scientists hope their research will help to disprove Japan's claims that whales have to be killed if they are to be properly studied.

The six-week voyage will start in Wellington in early February.

An End to Japanese Whaling?

I seriously doubt it, despite the Greenpeace report in Wildlife Extra News.. It's too much a matter of international pride. (I know, I know, I'm always a pessimist....but I'm so good at it!)

A major review of Japanese government spending could spell the end to whaling in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary, according to Greenpeace, after the review committee proposed massive cuts in subsidies to a body which funds the so-called scientific research programme.

The Spending Review Committee recommended that the Overseas Fisheries Cooperation Fund (OFCF), which gives loans to the Institute for Cetacean Research (ICR) to run the discredited science programme, have all of its funding revoked, except monies needed for loans in 2010.

Paul Watson Gets His Australian Visa

Ecorazzi has the story. Sea Shepherd is gearing up to go out again.

Japanese whaling continues, with 59 Minke whales killed off Kushiro. The stunning conclusion from their "research": Minke whales eat krill, pollack and anchovies. Wow, whales eat krill? Who knew?