Petition Tag - iwc

The Atlantic Whale Foundation operates the volunteer programme on the whale watching boats of Tenerife, Spain.

There are one million Europeans each year whale watching on these boats and this petition will give voice to their concerns about whaling.

As citizens of the European Union we want our governments to take all necessary actions to protect our planet's environment.

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PETITIE BETREFFENDE DE HERVATTING VAN DE COMMERCIELE WALVISVANGST EN HET LIDMAATSCHAP VAN SURINAME VAN DE “INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION FOR THE REGULATION OF WHALING, 1946 AND ITS PROTOCOL”

WIJ, het bestuur van de Green Heritage Fund Suriname en de vrijwilligers van de Green Heritage Fund Suriname, CONSTATEREN DAT:

- Dit een cruciaal punt is in de geschiedenis van de mensheid: wij kunnen nu een keuze maken om bewust mee te werken aan het vernietigen van de biodiversiteit van onze planeet, of een standpunt innemen van behoud en bescherming en van harmonieus samenleven met onze natuurlijke omgeving;

- Terwijl de beelden nog vers op ons netvlies zijn van dolfijnen die vechten voor hun leven, die vechten om uit de handen te blijven van mensen die hen genadeloos zullen afslachten, wij nu een keuze kunnen maken of wij onze goedkeuring blijven geven aan dergelijke slachtingen, of dat wij onze stem laten horen en een krachtig ‘NEE’ laten klinken;

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PETITION CONCERNING THE RESUMPTION OF COMMERCIAL WHALING AND THE MEMBERSHIP OF SURINAME TO THE “INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION FOR THE REGULATION OF WHALING, 1946 AND ITS PROTOCOL”

WE, the Board of the Green Heritage Fund Suriname and the volunteers of the Green Heritage Fund Suriname, CONCLUDE THAT:

- This is a crucial moment in the history of humanity: we can now make a choice to either consciously collaborate in destroying the biodiversity on this planet, or take a standpoint for preservation and protection, and for living in harmony with our natural environment;

- While the images are still fresh in our minds of dolphins fighting for their lives--fighting to stay out of the hands of people who will ruthlessly slaughter them, we can now make a choice to either continue to approve this slaughter, or make our voice heard and resound with a forceful 'NO'; and

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UPDATE: June 2005

In June, the International Whaling Commission (IWC), whose almost 60 member countries oversee worldwide whale conservation, will hold its annual meeting in Ulsan, South Korea. This year, as befits the complicated politics of international whaling, the eyes of the world will be riveted on the host country. That's because, as an IWC member increasingly aligned with aggressive pro-whaling nations, Korea's vote will likely be decisive in determining the long term fate of the great whales and other threatened marine mammals.

As in prior years, the debate at Ulsan will focus on whether to lift the ban on commercial whaling. This year, there is a greater than ever threat that this will occur, and Korea holds a linchpin vote. An IWC member since 1978, South Korea supported the 1982 ban on commercial whaling imposed by the IWC and officially prohibited domestic whaling. Recently, though, Korea has regularly voted with the pro-whaling countries of Japan, Iceland, and Norway to subvert the 1982 agreement.

The IWC was created by whaling countries in 1946 in response to the alarming whale population decline due to large scale commercial whaling activities. The commission was hard pressed to fulfill its mandate because whalers routinely exceeded their permissible take and inaccurately reported the numbers of whales killed. By the 1970s, 8 out of 10 species of great whales covered by the IWC treaty were commercially extinct.

Korea is uniquely positioned to make the difference by divorcing itself from such subterfuge carried out on its soil. By taking a strong stand for whales, by resisting the pressure of the whaling nations, and by defending the extant ban on commercial whaling, Korea can ensure that the future will judge Ulsan as a turning point, a moment when humanity found its right relationship to the majestic creatures of the sea.

The best outcome of this year's meeting would be the creation of an additional sanctuary in the South Atlantic, championed by Argentina and Brazil. With a change of heart at Ulsan, Korea could achieve lasting distinction as the nation which truly granted safe harbor to the whales.

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In June 2000 the International Whaling Commission voted to not support the South Pacific Whale Sanctuary. In 1998 over 1100 whales were killed for profit, despite the worldwide moratorium on commercial whaling.

Some species are still on the brink of extinction. By 1990 the Blue Whale numbers had been reduced from over 250,000 to just 1,000. It is time to put a stop to commercial whaling and find a permanent solution to protect whales.

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