Courts Can Stop Japan!

Experts: Courts can stop Japan whale cull || The Australian:

"LAW experts today urged anti-whaling nations to end years of fruitless diplomatic pressure on Japan to stop scientific culling and use international courts to halt Tokyo.

As the International Whaling Commission annual conference began in Alaska, a group of law experts commissioned by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) urged Australia and other like-minded countries to get tougher with Japan.

'Japan's whaling programme is illegal and will remain so until a government takes steps to challenge this unlawful activity,' law professor and group chairman Don Rothwell said.

The IWC's 72 members are bitterly divided over a 25-year-old global moratorium on whaling which Japan and other nations such as Norway oppose.

Japan has long resisted pressure to stop scientific whaling and this year plans to hunt 935 minke and for the first time 50 humpbacks. Humpbacks were hunted nearly to extinction until protected by the IWC in 1966."

Is there really a simple way?

Can you really force them just to stop...
And actually believe that they will when told not to?

Will this really work any better?

So far Japan has taken international law into it's own hands to do as it pleases - continuing to conduct its (scientific) whaling activities.

Japan can't argue the fact that it is against international laws, of which are agreed and signed upon, that whaling is prohibited. Japan is breaking the law! Why not use the courts?

It won't be until Japan can find a way to change the laws to be otherwise, in their favor, that Japan's activities will actually be legal. But that hasn't happened yet. (Though, unfortunately may be soon at hand!)

However, the fact still remains... whaling is ILLEGAL, and Japan is in violation!

It would be fascinating to see if any of these things are taken seriously and what the outcome would be.

Alaska Whalers to Cancel Beluga Hunt - Examiner.com

Alaska Whalers to Cancel Beluga Hunt - Examiner.com:

"The population [of Beluga whales] is now so low that Alaska Native whalers, who have chased belugas for generations, agreed Monday to cancel their annual hunt for the third time in nine years at the request of the National Marine Fisheries Service. The agency is expected to decide this week whether to declare the animals endangered."

Will another species of whales make it onto the Who's Who Of Endangered Species?

It seems that it is most likely that the Beluga's will soon join some of their cousins on the endangered list.

Though the Alaskan whalers have the legal right, given the right genealogy and decent, to hunt these whales... perhaps it is best for them to rely on other traditions of their people, granted the ill-fate of the Beluga's in the current age.

Forget Ear Wax, Whale Dandruff's The Answer

Forget ear wax, whale dandruff's the answer

Apparently Australian scientists have found a reason for Japan's "scientific whaling" program to cease.

The main purpose that Japan's so-called "scientists" are killing the whales is to determine the age of the whales, which was done by counting the layers of the whale's ear wax... and to do so the whale must be dead.

Now Australian scientists found a way to determine the age of whales by analyzing little bits of skin the whales shed.

I doubt, however, that this will really keep the Japanese "scientists" from killing whales....

... Because as we all know Japan has a large market for whale meat - though the profitability of said market is debatable.

- Gary Schmidt

Signs of Whales Returning

Redesigned signs warn of dangers during whale season: "Fearing that more boating traffic increases the potential for collisions with humpback whales during the winter whale season, state and federal agencies say they are posting new warning signs at harbors and boat ramps."

The signs of the whales return are litterally starting to show in the Hawaiian Islands region...

New signs are being posted that are easier to read and understand at a glance warning about whale collision, compared to the older signs that are harder to read while passing. This is good, since when the next generation of calves are born and start their life they need to surface more often.

Gary Schmidt

Behemoth Of The Air Spying On Behemoths Of The Sea

PM: Scientists Track Whales From A Fuji Blimp:

"The blimp is roughly the size of a Boeing 747, but 500 mph slower and, without ballast, lighter than air. This makes it the perfect vehicle for studying another behemoth: whales. Several species of this marine mammal are swimming dangerously close to extinction, but without knowing more about their behavior it's difficult for scientists to help them recover. It has never been easy to observe whales. They don't fit in a lab, and in the wild they spend only about 3 percent of their time at the surface."

A fascinating 3 article series of how several scientists around Cape Cod Bay are learning about whale behavior and studying the whales by tracking them and other things to better help protect the whales and determine how the populations of whales are doing overall.

Gary

Protecting Whales By Listening To Them

Untitled Document:

"Small survey planes, daylight and luck have long been the best tools for scientists hoping to spot the rare North Atlantic right whale. The results aren't too impressive.

An estimated one in four whales are spotted by aerial surveys, leaving the rest vulnerable to ship strikes or fishing gear entanglements. But scientists say an underwater listening system they're developing will dramatically improve detection and reduce whale deaths."

Here's a cool new tactic that scientists are trying to help prevent ships from literally crashing into whales... the North Atlantic Right Whale is the one in particular they are trying to protect better - which is one of the most endangered species of whales.

Gary

For Oil Or Whales

Independent Online Edition > Business News: "Shell is facing a mounting international backlash against its 11bn Pound plans to exploit the vast energy reserves off the coast of this former top secret Soviet military base north of Japan. It has already been forced to re-route oil pipelines that threatened to disrupt the breeding grounds of the critically endangered western grey whale, and has suspended other works."

With oil prices being so high I thought this would be an interesting post to that effect. Shell is under a lot of pressure to keep its operations from disturbing the endangered whales in the pacific (around Japan).

There's a delicate balance that must be maintained between human needs and the need to preserve the earth and species on this planet... and apparently shell is stuck somewhere in the middle of this.

Hopefully they clean it up soon...

Gary

Aaaand.... ACTION!!

Thousands sign anti-whaling petition. 06/09/2005. ABC News Online:

"A petition to save whales from commercial or scientific whaling will be presented to the New South Wales Parliament next week.

The Member for Tweed, Neville Newell, says thousands of people have supported the 'Save Our Whales' campaign.

He says the Federal Government is being asked to take a tougher stand against Japan's plans to kill whales for scientific purposes."

This is exactly what needs to be done.... encourage the governments of nations to take a stand against whaling nations.... and take swift, strong, decisive action against their activities!

This will be what will eliminate commercial whaling... to help save the whales...

Great work so far people of Australia... Keep it up and don't back down!!!

Gary Schmidt

That's One Big Fine

Whale tours feeling squeezed by US rules - The Boston Globe: "The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, recently fined vessel captain Sean Baker $3,500 for ''failing to comply with right whale avoidance measures by coming within 500 yards of a right whale, and failing to immediately leave the area' in an incident off Cape Cod two years ago."

That's a huge amount to be fined, just for not staying far enough away from a whale. The need to protect them is understood since right whales are on the verge of extinction, however, how reasonable is the distance and fine for protecting the whales?

Wouldn't it be ok to carefully maneuver to within the 500 yards (which is about the length of an average par-5 golf hole)? Of course it could be done, and could be done without endangering the well-being of the whale. This issue hits the Federal courts in November.

Gary Schmidt

Good News But Still A Lot To Do

Humpback whale population on the rise. 31/08/2005. ABC News Online: "Researchers say the humpback whale population is slowly increasing but it needs to be protected from commercial whaling."

This is really good news for the humpback whales, however there is much that needs to be donen to keep them protected and keep their population growing.

Check out the site that I put up that will help show the need for the protection of all the whales and how you can make a difference:   http://theguidetowhalewatching.com/savewhales

A difference can be made, and the whales can be saved! We all just need to play our roles and make it happen!

Gary Schmidt

Federal Officials Take Action On Whale Deaths

Federal officials probe unexplained whale deaths - Boston.com: "Federal officials are organizing a team of researchers to investigate nearly two dozen unexplained whale deaths between Maine and Virginia this summer."

More work to ensure the safety of the whales and dtermine what the cauase of the deaths are that are unexplainable. It's time that action was taken to really understand what the causes of whale deaths are, and how much human activity is affecting this.

Gary Schmidt

Orca Success Story

Springer the whale now a `normal orca`: "A solitary, sick whale with a liking for boats found in 2002 now thrives as a 'normal orca' with a pod of whales in the Johnstone Strait off Canada`s coast."

This poor whale given the name Springer, was orphaned in Washington's Puget Sound and was discovered alone, ill and having a fascination for small boats. He was rejected by southern whale group - being part of the northern whale population.

Researchers rehabilitated and relocated Springer to Johnstone Strait in July 2002, and she was accepted by a pod of seven orcas.

What a great thing to happen!

Gary Schmidt

Saving the Whales Is Finally Possible!

Pawel Achtel & SeaShepherd Conservation Society

It's here, at last. The best way you can help to save the whales.

Go to this link to see how you can help save the whales through awareness, advocacy and action.

We need to help the whales! They can't help protect themself any better...

- Gary

Whales Can't Call 911 For Help - But This Is Close

I got this email from Pawel Achtel, who is planning an amazing project!

However, he needs some funding to cover some of his costs to make this project possible.

Over the last week I've been discussing with Pawel the possibility of raising funds trhough a website from the general public, like you - because right now he is just relying on corporate/business sponsorship.

So coming soon I will be posting a site that you can make donations to this project:

I am in a need of urgent assistance and support. If there was a way to stop Japanese whaling, it could not get any better than this.

Background:

As you may be aware Japan has decided to illegally kill whales despite the outrage of public opinion, international laws and disapproval of IWC. Yoshimasa Hayashi, a member of Japan's House of Councillors, warned that it would break the 20-year moratorium on commercial whaling if international regulators failed to establish a whaling management system by the end of June. In addition, Hayashi said Japan will double its annual quota of research whaling from the current more than 700, increasing both the number of species hunted and the hunting area. And for the first time in two decades, Japan will target the endangered humpback and fin species.

And Japan will get away with it because IWC regulations have no enforcement agency to back up the rules and other nations are reluctant to impose economic sanctions on such a powerful nation. Even though Australian government has strongly opposed such senseless killing, it decided not to use enforcement as it did with other violations, such as illegal Indonesian fishing boats.

However, there is one unofficial enforcement agency for international regulations and conventions and that is Sea Shepherd Conservation Society (www.seashepherd.org). Stopping the Japanese whaling fleet is the priority campaign for the Sea Shepherd for this year. Captain Paul Watson and his crew are preparing their flagship the Farley Mowat and they will be crossing the Pacific to Australia for final preparations to head down to the Antarctic Whale Sanctuary. Sea Shepherd intends to intervene and intends to intercept the Japanese fleet in December 2005 and January 2006.

The Society unsuccessfully hunted the Japanese fleet during the 2002 and 2003 fleet. “It was our first attempt and we learned what we needed to learn to find them. I am confident that we will find them this year and I am confident we will be able to interfere with their cruel intentions,” said Captain Paul Watson. And, they are not novices. During the last twenty-five years, Sea Shepherd has sunk two Icelandic whalers, two Spanish whalers, one pirate whaler in Portugal, three Norwegian whalers, and assisted South Africa in seizing and sinking two additional pirate whalers. Additionally, Sea Shepherd forced the pirate whaler Cape Fisher to drop out of the illegal activity for a total of eleven whaling operations shut down.

I have contacted Captain Paul Watson and I intend to join them to help achieve their goal. I have substantial resources and skills for such operation. I am also intending to produce an IMAX and cinema film about whales and the action in Antarctica this summer. I believe that a giant screen conservation film showing beauty of whales, cruel and illegal action of Japanese whales and their subsequent failure to achieve financial gain are going to send strong message and will put international whaling into history.

I am asking for funding to help finance the filming on this trip only. While the production cost is estimated to be around $3 - $4mln, at this stage it is critical that I acquire extensive footage from this expedition. I have other arrangements in place to secure further funding to finish the film. The time is critical as I have to start necessary preparations right now.

Wow, isn't that great!

If you have done any amount of research on the state of whales, you will know that the whales are in drastic need of protection from whaling nations. If they aren't protected then many of them will be extinct within ten years!

WE NEED TO DO AS MUCH AS WE CAN TO PROTECT THE WHALES FROM THE WHALING NATIONS...

Or else they will be gone forever, and that would be a shame!

I will give updates on the progress of this project as I hear them, and will be posting the link to the website soon.

- Gary Schmidt

Ship Zones To Help Whales

RedNova News - Science - Ship Zones Recommended to Help Whales:

"FREDERICTON, New Brunswick -- Scientists are recommending speed zones for ship traffic as one way to help to help the endangered North Atlantic right whale population.

Whale experts studying the right whale in the Bay of Fundy this summer said that while there are more calves than usual, too many of the slow-moving leviathans are being killed in ship collisions."

They can certainly use all the help they can get... as long as it gets tangible results, which this has the potential for.

Gary

How old is that whale?

Australian researchers develop new method to determine whales' age: "Australian scientists are developing a new method of determining the age of humpback whales which can avoid killing the mammals in previous methods"

Kudos to the Australians for researching this. I'm not entirely too certain why we need to know how old the whales are. But since research seems to find it an important matter we shouldn't have to kill them to know how old they are!

Gary