News Release
Further information: Louise Fitzsimons, WSPA Australia Communications Manager
Phone: (02) 9902 8013 / 0414 775 275 Email: louisefitzsimons@wspa.org.au
WSPA Australia Ltd, Suite 1, 2 Northcote Street, St Leonards, NSW (www.wspa.org.au)
ABN 19 083 297 027
Monday 23 November 2009
WSPA tells Government: No whaling in our waters
As the Japanese whaling fleet embarks on its annual hunt – and this year heads for Australian
waters – the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) is calling on the Australian
Government to take stronger action.
WSPA Programmes Manager Emily Reeves comments: “With the Japanese hunt happening
on our own doorstep this year, it’s time to stop turning a blind eye to the suffering of these
beautiful creatures.
“It is essential that the Australian Government sends a vessel to the Southern Ocean for the
duration of the hunt - to monitor it and to show the cruel reality of this practice to the world.
Scientific research cannot be used as an excuse for cruelty.
“The Australian Government’s diplomatic efforts to stop Japan from continuing this cruel hunt
have not been successful. It is now time to pull out all stops – to do whatever it takes – to
convince the Japanese Government to suspend this unnecessary cruelty.”
WSPA believes that all whaling is inherently cruel and should be banned for the simple reason
that there is no humane way to kill a whale at sea. The methods used in whaling are cruel,
outdated and completely contradictory to current international guidelines for the humane
slaughter of animals (1).
Ms Reeves continues: “We want the Australian Government to strengthen its opposition to
Japanese whaling by calling for Japan to suspend its whaling program, as a sign of good faith
while the International Whaling Commission’s Small Working Group process is underway.”
[Continues...]
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This Small Working Group was set up to find a way forward for the IWC, including addressing
the issue of whale welfare. It is hoped that the group will be able to present suggestions for
progress at the next IWC meeting in 2010. Japan is part of this group, although they continue
to hunt.
Ms Reeves adds: “You don’t have to kill a whale to understand it. This is something that the
Australian Government recognises and is committed to through the Southern Ocean
Research Partnership (2).”
Ends
Notes to Editor
1.
The most common whaling method is a harpoon which is designed to detonate inside the
whale’s body. It creates a large wound, which triples in size when the harpoon’s barbs hook
into the whale’s body. Despite the power of the explosive harpoon, a second harpoon or rifle is
often required for whales that do not die instantaneously. The average time to death is two to
three minutes, although some whales can take up to an hour to die.
2.
In order to demonstrate that we can understand whales without killing them, the Australian
Government has established an international research program, the Southern Ocean Research
Partnership. So far there are 12 member countries: Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Costa
Rica, France, Italy, Mexico, New Zealand, South Africa, Uruguay and the USA. They have
publicly asked Japan to join as well.
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