When the talk of the Makah hunt started, all the environmentalists said that it was being pushed by outsiders, because if the US Gov allowed the Makah to hunt, the Japanese and the Norwegians would use that to justify their own commercial whaling activities. Apparently the environmentalists were right. Prudy In a message dated 01/19/2000 8:28:25 AM Eastern Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: << Subj: [The_Spike] Whaling Commission Faces Pressure to Change Policy Date: 01/19/2000 8:28:25 AM Eastern Standard Time From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Pat Morris) Reply-to: <A HREF="mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]">[EMAIL PROTECTED]</A> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] From: Pat Morris <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> http://abcnews.go.com/sections/science/DailyNews/iwc990525.html Japan, U.S. Square Off Whaling Commission Faces Pressure to Change Policy By Chris Hawley The Associated Press S T. G E O R G E’S, Grenada, May 25 — Japan and the United States are facing off over whales, with Tokyo accusing Washington of hypocrisy for allowing a native American tribe to hunt whales while refusing the same right to traditional whalers in Japan. The two countries — leading opposite camps at the annual International Whaling Commission meeting here — also clashed over the presence of the international activist organization Greenpeace. Japan demanded unsuccessfully that Greenpeace be barred as observers to punish the organization for a November 1998 protest in the French Pacific territory of New Caledonia. Greenpeace members chained a Japanese whaler to the dock and hung from a mooring cable in hammocks all day. Japan claimed the delay cost millions of dollars. “These allegations fall far short of (Japan’s claims of) sabotage or terrorism,” a U.S. delegate, Rolland Schmitten, told the meeting. Japan’s demand was rejected 22-9, with three abstentions. Japan, Norway Lead the Fight Last week’s kill of a gray whale off Neah Bay in Washington state provided a dramatic prelude to the five-day meeting of 40 nations on the Caribbean island Grenada. Whalers see last week’s highly publicized Makah Indian hunt — the first U.S. kill outside Alaska since a 1986 worldwide ban on commercial whaling — as an admission that growing whale populations no longer merit such blanket protection. “The U.S. has no integrity now,” said Paul Watson of the Washington-based Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. “I think we’re on the threshold of a major escalation in whaling.” The controversy was expected at the meeting, as was Japan’s reaction when the commission on Monday dismissed its request — for the 10th year in a row — for indigenous tribes in northern Japan to be allowed to hunt 50 minke whales a year. “It’s a double standard,” said delegate Mayasuki Komatsu. “I mean, our tribes were whaling right up until the moratorium. The Makahs hadn’t killed a whale in 70 years!” Twelve countries supported Japan, 15 objected and seven abstained. The other six members don’t have a vote because they haven’t paid their dues. Pro-whaling nations led by Japan and Norway told The Associated Press they would push for an end to the moratorium on commercial whaling even though they don’t have enough votes to do so. Research and Restaurants On Monday, when the meeting opened, the two countries accused Washington of trying to sabotage a proposed management plan to end the ban. “They are trying to make it so costly to go whaling that we won’t be able to afford it,” complained Stein Owe, a delegate from Norway. “This is their newest strategy for trying to get us to stop.” U.S. delegate Michael Tillman countered: “They point the finger at us. I can point the finger at them. There’s no give on their part at all.” The Makah Indian hunt had the blessing of Washington, which has long opposed commercial whaling but says “subsistence whaling” is different. That is controversial, because the commission has allowed quotas for others not dependent on whale meat for survival, including a St. Vincent whaler who was at the conference to defend charges he violated rules by allegedly killing two endangered Humpback calves and their mothers. Britain has pledged to vote against St. Vincent receiving another quota. But the Caribbean country is asking for its quota to be increased from two to three humpbacks a year. “This is not the Far North, where the only source of protein for people is what comes out of the seas,” said Sue Fisher, campaign manager for the Britain-based Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society. The United States said it feared Japanese tribes would sell the whale meat, commercializing the kills. “We are sympathetic to the needs of these communities … but we are worried about the possible trade of whale meat,” U.S. delegate Rolland Schmitten told the conference. Japan has been criticized for killing 300 minke whales a year under a scientific research permit and selling that whale meat to restaurants. http://wolfseeker.com http://www.insidetheweb.com/mbs.cgi/mb629759 http://www.sunlink.net/~wlfskr >>
From: Pat Morris <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> http://abcnews.go.com/sections/science/DailyNews/iwc990525.html Japan, U.S. Square Off Whaling Commission Faces Pressure to Change Policy By Chris Hawley The Associated Press S T. G E O R G E’S, Grenada, May 25 — Japan and the United States are facing off over whales, with Tokyo accusing Washington of hypocrisy for allowing a native American tribe to hunt whales while refusing the same right to traditional whalers in Japan. The two countries — leading opposite camps at the annual International Whaling Commission meeting here — also clashed over the presence of the international activist organization Greenpeace. Japan demanded unsuccessfully that Greenpeace be barred as observers to punish the organization for a November 1998 protest in the French Pacific territory of New Caledonia. Greenpeace members chained a Japanese whaler to the dock and hung from a mooring cable in hammocks all day. Japan claimed the delay cost millions of dollars. “These allegations fall far short of (Japan’s claims of) sabotage or terrorism,” a U.S. delegate, Rolland Schmitten, told the meeting. Japan’s demand was rejected 22-9, with three abstentions. Japan, Norway Lead the Fight Last week’s kill of a gray whale off Neah Bay in Washington state provided a dramatic prelude to the five-day meeting of 40 nations on the Caribbean island Grenada. Whalers see last week’s highly publicized Makah Indian hunt — the first U.S. kill outside Alaska since a 1986 worldwide ban on commercial whaling — as an admission that growing whale populations no longer merit such blanket protection. “The U.S. has no integrity now,” said Paul Watson of the Washington-based Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. “I think we’re on the threshold of a major escalation in whaling.” The controversy was expected at the meeting, as was Japan’s reaction when the commission on Monday dismissed its request — for the 10th year in a row — for indigenous tribes in northern Japan to be allowed to hunt 50 minke whales a year. “It’s a double standard,” said delegate Mayasuki Komatsu. “I mean, our tribes were whaling right up until the moratorium. The Makahs hadn’t killed a whale in 70 years!” Twelve countries supported Japan, 15 objected and seven abstained. The other six members don’t have a vote because they haven’t paid their dues. Pro-whaling nations led by Japan and Norway told The Associated Press they would push for an end to the moratorium on commercial whaling even though they don’t have enough votes to do so. Research and Restaurants On Monday, when the meeting opened, the two countries accused Washington of trying to sabotage a proposed management plan to end the ban. “They are trying to make it so costly to go whaling that we won’t be able to afford it,” complained Stein Owe, a delegate from Norway. “This is their newest strategy for trying to get us to stop.” U.S. delegate Michael Tillman countered: “They point the finger at us. I can point the finger at them. There’s no give on their part at all.” The Makah Indian hunt had the blessing of Washington, which has long opposed commercial whaling but says “subsistence whaling” is different. That is controversial, because the commission has allowed quotas for others not dependent on whale meat for survival, including a St. Vincent whaler who was at the conference to defend charges he violated rules by allegedly killing two endangered Humpback calves and their mothers. Britain has pledged to vote against St. Vincent receiving another quota. But the Caribbean country is asking for its quota to be increased from two to three humpbacks a year. “This is not the Far North, where the only source of protein for people is what comes out of the seas,” said Sue Fisher, campaign manager for the Britain-based Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society. The United States said it feared Japanese tribes would sell the whale meat, commercializing the kills. “We are sympathetic to the needs of these communities … but we are worried about the possible trade of whale meat,” U.S. delegate Rolland Schmitten told the conference. Japan has been criticized for killing 300 minke whales a year under a scientific research permit and selling that whale meat to restaurants. http://wolfseeker.com http://www.insidetheweb.com/mbs.cgi/mb629759 http://www.sunlink.net/~wlfskr --------------------------- ONElist Sponsor ---------------------------- Want to send money instantly to anyone, anywhere, anytime? You can today at X.com - and we'll give you $20 to try it. Sign up today at X.com. It's quick, free, & there's no obligation. <a href=" http://clickme.onelist.com/ad/xcom ">Click Here</a> ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Moderator: Jimmy Boy Dial http://www.thespike.com Community email addresses: Post message: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] List owner: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Shortcut URL to this page: http://www.onelist.com/community/The_Spike
