Patrick Ramage / The International Fund for Animal Welfare – 2012-11-19 02:44:05
http://www.ifaw.org/united-states
Help Stop Korean Whaling Before It Starts
Patrick Ramage / IFAW
(November 16, 2012) — We only have two weeks to try to save endangered North Pacific minke whales from Korean harpoons. Please act now.
At the International Whaling Commission (IWC) meeting in July of this year, the Government of the Republic of Korea announced its intention to begin killing endangered North Pacific minke whales. The deadline to submit their proposal is December 3.
TAKE ACTION: Please help stop this program before it starts.
They say they’re going to kill minkes for scientific purposes. Sound familiar? As we know from the “scientific” whaling programs in Japan, Norway and Iceland, countries killing whales do so for commercial purposes.
We also know from decades of our own research that whales are better studied by observing their behavior in the wild or examining them after they’ve passed away naturally.
And of course we know that commercial whaling is incredibly cruel: A whale is pursued to the point of exhaustion …s hot by an exploding harpoon … and then slowly reeled in as it bleeds to death or drowns.
To make matters even worse, the minke whale population that would be targeted by Korean harpoons is listed as endangered. Further deaths as a result of a lethal “scientific” whaling program could have drastic conservation implications for this already depleted population.
Once Korea submits this proposal, the IWC has no power to prevent it from going forward. So we must act now.
It can take half an hour for a harpooned whale to die. But it only takes a few seconds to help save them — please send your message of protest now.
Thank you for acting on behalf of whales,
Patrick Ramage is IFAW’s Whale Program Director
Take Action
In 1982, the International Whaling Commission adopted a moratorium on commercial whaling which came into effect in the 1985-86 season. Several countries, including the Republic of Korea, stopped their commercial whaling programs as a result of the moratorium decision, but at the International Whaling Commission meeting (IWC) in July, Korea announced that it was considering embarking on a “scientific whaling” program.
“Scientific whaling” has a poor reputation. It yields little, if any, useful information and is considered a mechanism to conduct whaling for commercial purposes despite the moratorium. In this case it is being conducted on an endangered population which will decline as a result.
Since the announcement various media reports and statements have implied a possible climb down but at current Korea has left the door open, allowing for the possibility to still submit a formal proposal for scientific whaling.
Time is short.
Korea has said it will follow the IWC’s new rules for such proposals, which means that its deadline for submission is December 3, 2012.
Once Korea submits this proposal the IWC has no power to prevent it from going forward. So it is imperative that we stop this before it starts.
Submit the following letter to the Korean Prime Minister to let him know you disapprove. This is a worldwide issue. Make your voice heard.
THE LETTER
Renounce All Plans for ‘Scientific Whaling’
The announcement this summer by the Republic of Korea that it would begin “scientific†whaling, resulted in media uproar and strong objections from governments including that of New Zealand, Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States.
The IWC Scientific Committee has conducted very detailed reviews of the available information on North Pacific minke whales in recent years and has not identified any issues that might require lethal takes. Thousands of scientists from all over the world study whales without killing them; Korea should follow their lead.
The minke whale population which would be affected by this program is listed as endangered and further deaths as a result of a lethal scientific whaling program could have drastic conservation implications for this already depleted population.
I urge you to cancel plans for this program which will damage Korea’s international reputation. Whaling of this nature is inherently cruel, and should not be allowed to move forward. Therefore, I ask for you to publicly announce that Korea will not submit a proposal for ‘scientific’ whaling to the IWC and will drop the scientific whaling plan completely.
