Whales

Australians for Animals Int. (AFA) is an accredited International Whaling Commissiion NGO.   A representative of the charity has attended IWC Convention meetings since 1996.

Over the last ten years, watching Japan escalate its illegal whaling activity has provided a damning insight into the workings of the big enviro groups, the anti whaling governments and the whalers.

The biggest stumbling block to ending Japan’s whaling, along with Norway and Iceland, is the failure of the US to mount trade sanctions.  In the past, the world’s only super power used its economic might by threatening trade sanctions to ensure that Japan was kept in line at IWC.

Since the advent of the WTO ( World Trade Organisation) which most anti whaling countries have ratified, trade sanctions are no longer considered as they may “ interfere with trade”.   So Free Trade rules and the whales are sent to hell.

President George Bush has no interest in protecting whales or imposing trade sanctions against Japan.   Major US environment organizations simply will not raise the trade issues although the US Tariff Schedules now include an item for the import and export of cetacean meat and products.  As do all Tariff Schedules for countries that have ratified the WTO.

This is the bottom line.   The groundwork to allow trade in whales has been set in motion.  Without a single weapon with which to fight Japanese whaling interests, the only options are the struggle that Sea Shepherd puts up in the Antarctic every year OR for an anti whaling nation to take Japan to the international courts.

AFA has commissioned a number of legal opinions from some of the best respected international lawyers.  Every opinion sets out the many violations of international conventions by Japan.   Every opinion details appropriate action that can be taken, which includes mediation.

But anti whaling governments do not want to listen.   Although the new Rudd Government in Australia has promised to take Japan to the international courts, without support from other anti whaling nations, the task is extremely difficult.

Only legal action will stop Japan.  The grounds are there.  But trade interests dominnate conservation concerns and until such time as the global community demands protection for the world’s remaining whales, the whale wars will continue.

The legal opinions which AFA Int has commissioned are available to genuine interested parties.   

People who care about whales and are members of the big US environment groups should write and ask these groups to specifically detail their whale conservation policies.     These groups take mega dollars to “ Save Whales” but the reality doesn’t translate into any significant or substantial action.