Whale watching

Greens urge action over Japan's whaling stance. :

"The Australian Greens Senator Bob Brown says the Federal Government should suspend talks on a free trade agreement with Japan over the nation's move to resume hunting humpback whales.

The Federal Environment Minister, Senator Ian Campbell, says Japan has applied to the International Whaling Commission to double its kill of minke whales and to begin killing humpbacks, which have been protected from whaling since 1966."

I have been part of the Save the Whale campaign forever. It was great seeing a doco on the whale watching on the St Lawrence River in Canada. They take so many people, including Japanese tourists, out to see the whales and the looks of sheer joy on people's faces said it all. I know Japanese people eat whale. That is not the point. We don't have ehough whales to go hunting them and they are a bit big to farm. I don't know what to suggest unless we can manage to create a mini whale which can be farmed. We have whales off the coast here and it is a big attraction for people. The planet loves whales and too many of the whale species are becoming threatened by hunting. Besides, the way they are killed is incredibly inhumane.

It is absolutely crucial that we co operate as a world and sit down and discuss our needs and use the specific international forums for various world issues and resources. We have the International Whaling forum. All discussions and resolutions with regard to whales need to be channeled through them because they have the information and the expertise to make decisions with regard to whales:

International Whaling Commission