whaling

Help Prevent Sanctioned Whale Slaughter

Be the First to Comment!

When we experience progress firsthand, don’t you get so excited? I remember when Taco Bell started paying its tomato pickers fair wages and I was so excited to get a quesadilla from The Bell again! From the Global Gag Rule to passing endangered species laws to getting harmful chemicals banned, we will certainly take what we can get and celebrate every step forward.

It’s the steps backward that make us outraged.

In a move that Greenpeace simply describes as “baffling,” the International Whaling Commission—scratch that, not the entire Commission itself, but a teeny tiny group within the group—is trying to save the whales by reinstating commercial whaling.

That’s like getting people to lose weight by offering them all-you-can-eat buffets every day. Read more

94 Endangered Fin Whales Killed in Iceland Slaughter

1 New Comment: Join In!

This year, 150 whales were slaughtered in the Iceland whale hunts which continue to spite protests and controversy. The numbers for this year's whaling season surpasses the number of kills from the previous year and included 94 fin whales which are still considered endangered by many conservationists around the world. Common minke whales were also targeted for the slaughter.

The Icelandic government defends the hunt by claiming that they are hunting from “abundant stocks” and justifying the kills by referring to their rightful use of “living marine resources” with little regard for the whales. They still refuse to comply with the international ban on whaling to despite outrage from around the world. Read more

Worthy Goal, Troubling Tactics

Be the First to Comment!

Sailing under the Jolly Roger is a clear statement.Sailing under the Jolly Roger is a clear statement. Read more

Japan's Assault on Whales Increases with Bycatch Kills

2 Comments: Join In!

Organizations such as the Sea Sheppard Society have brought a great deal of attention to the whale slaughters carried by Japanese whaling fleets through various campaigns and the Whale Wars show that documented the fight against these whaling vessels to keep the quickly disappearing whale populations alive. However, little attention has been drawn to the other war that Japan has waged against whales through the unregulated kills associated with bycatch. Read more

Global Whaling Talks at a Standstill

Be the First to Comment!

I have a solution to the global whaling debate:

Stop whaling.

Okay, I know that nobody’s going to go for that, but world leaders should at least have something in mind. So there’s only one thing to meet a standstill in whale protection decision-making like the one we saw at the International Whaling Commission this week: a very dramatic eye-roll, heavy sighing and possible gestures of disgust.

The thing is, there’s been a ban on commercial whaling since 1986—a ban that’s been completely ignored by Japan, Iceland and Norway. This complete disregard to the moratorium leaves the IWC looking like a complete joke—and, let’s face it, if they can’t enforce their rules, aren’t they? Read more

Cultural Traditions conflicting with Conservation

Be the First to Comment!

May 17th marked the 10th anniversary of Makah tribal whalers pulling ashore the body of a 32-ton gray whale, taken in the first formal hunt in 70 years, at Neah Bay, on Washington state's Olympic Peninsula. Legal challenges since have prevented another such hunt, in spite of the deep cultural ties observed by members of the Makah tribe, and the life-changing nature of the 1999 hunt. Makah Whaler, circa 1900Makah Whaler, circa 1900 Read more

Whaling Fetishists Seek Iceland's Waters to Slake Lust

Be the First to Comment!

Everybody and his cross-dressing brother want to use Iceland to skewer whales these days. A whopping 42 groups are on their knees begging for some harpoon action. Harpoon yourselves, say I.

Among the signers was Fridrik Thor Arngrimsson, head of the Federation of Icelandic Fishing Vessel Owners, who says, "I am certain that whaling will be permitted... What I am uncertain of is how much we will be allowed to catch."

Mr. Thor Arngrimsson, I can think of two dozen things I'd like for you to catch. And none of them is a whale. Read more

Syndicate content