Today the International Whaling Commision has proposed to lift the ban on commercial whaling in our Southern Ocean - a ban that has been in place since 1986.
The position proposed today by the Chair and Vice Chair of the IWC follows a proposal by New Zealand to allow commercial whaling as a strategy to acheive the elimination of whaling by 2020.
Forest & Bird is deeply concerned about New Zealand's reversed position - see our other thread: http://forum.forestandbird.org.nz/topic/nz-supports-commercial-whaling-help-give-whales-a-voice
Across the Tasman, the Australaians are similarly alarmed at NZ's position: http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5j6n5vsbfjRI2Llo5I-lBZosMl8VQ
Today's announcement, however shows that the IWC is proposing to go even further, effectively condoning the status quo catch levels of whales. NZ Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully says he's outraged by the proposal:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/video.cfm?c_id=1&gal_objectid=10640398&gallery_id=110740
But didn't we start all this??
A few months ago Forest & Bird launched a petition calling on the government to save whales - not whaling:
http://www.forestandbird.org.nz/save-the-whales
Please help us send a clear message to the governement to reverse their position and stop these proposals before it is too late.
Please sign the petition and encourage your friends, family and colleagues to do the same.