Peter Garrett, Australia's Environment Minister, no lethal research on whales

[Annces]

AUSTRALIA will push an International Whaling Commission meeting in London this week to mount its own scientific research into whales to stop Japan from killing the mammals in the name of science, Environment Minister Peter Garrett said yesterday.




http://www.smh.com.au/ffximage/2008/03/01/garrett_020308_wideweb__470x328,0.jpg


Mr Garrett said Australia and other countries should collaborate with whaling nations to conduct scientific research on whales that involves preserving them, not killing them.

"We believe it is time to bring the IWC into the 21st century, equipping the commission to tackle contemporary challenges in whale conservation and management," he said.

The IWC meeting in London will pave the way for the annual general meeting in Chile in June at which Australia will lead the campaign to stop Japan from killing whales in the Southern Ocean.

Mr Garrett said the IWC should introduce conservation plans that protect whales not only from hunters but also climate change, fisheries activities, marine pollution, habitat disturbance and collisions with ships. He said the conduct of scientific research on whales should be brought under the direct authority of the IWC with agreed priorities and criteria for research to put an end to countries granting themselves the right to kill whales for science.

"The Australian Government is at full bore in our opposition to the killing of whales in the name of science," Mr Garrett said. "Australia's proposal for the future of the IWC recognises that the modern world sees whale watching rather than whale hunting as the most sustainable, valuable and ethical 'use' of whales." Mr Garrett said the Government planned to send a special whaling envoy to Japan in the next couple of months, but he would not reveal who it would be.

"This comes on top of data and images of Japanese whaling collected by the Oceanic Viking in the Southern Ocean last month for use in possible legal action in international courts." He said that whether the data could form the basis for legal action was still being assessed.

But Captain Paul Watson of the Sea Shepherd anti-whaling ship, the Steve Irwin, doubted Australia's diplomatic efforts through the IWC would stop Japan from killing whales. "Japan will reject anything aimed at stopping them killing whales," he said from his ship, which is still chasing the whalers in the Southern Ocean. "Japan sent a ship to follow us and report our position to the whaling fleet. But we tricked them overnight by switching off our engines and drifting like an iceberg and they went right past us. "Now we are heading for the whaling fleet but the weather is so bad they wouldn't have been able to do any hunting for weeks. I reckon their kill this season has been down to half their target."

http://www.smh.com.au/news/environment/iwc-research-could-stop-japan/2008/03/01/1204227048682.html

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

1. How do we sleep when our beds are burning?

Couldn't resist. I love the fact that he's an officeholder now.
Midnight Oil turned me on to a lot of issues in the 80s.

[Annces]

2. I think it is great too

Looks like he is taking a lead position with regard to conservation of whales and the IWC.