Maori leader: 'Don't let the whalers take our fish'

[Barrett808]

Source: The Dominion Post

'Don't let the whalers take our fish'
By NATHAN BEAUMONT - The Dominion Post | Wednesday, 26 December 2007

Maori leader Peter Love is demanding the Government strip all fishing quota rights awarded to Japanese companies in New Zealand waters, in protest at the whale hunt in the Southern Ocean.

The Wellington Tenths Trust managing trustee went on the offensive yesterday, declaring the Japanese Government was now at war with New Zealand's environmental opinions.

He went further, suggesting the whale hunt had ignited bitter memories of the Japanese Army's cruelty in the South Pacific during World War II and that its whaling policy was culturally offensive to Maori.

Mr Love, who also plans to ask the respective governments in the Pacific Islands to review its fishing quotas for Japan, intends to use the might of the iwi to push his case.

"We have constant access to the Government through our iwi. We can, and will, make demands because our iwi gives us solidarity to make a stand, rather than doing it on an individual basis.

"The Government will listen to us. We want to hit the Japanese in the pocket because that will get them to sit up and take notice."

Read more: http://www.stuff.co.nz/4336605a10.html

[1monster]

1. K & R. Go Maoris!!!

:kick:

[xchrom]

2. here's to the maori iwi!

:toast:

[formercia]

3. Maoris are a tough bunch

I was invited to a Maori tribal meeting in Auckland once. The singing was beautiful. The Leader, Frank Kerlopa jokingly told me that at one time they would have had me for dinner rather than to dinner.

[shenmue]

4. Whaling should die out

It's not necessary and it's destructive.

[wordpix]

5. and here's to solidarity across the big ocean===support the Maoris, BOYCOTT Japanese goods

Widen the limit of N. Zealand coastal waters and tell the Japanese they can no longer fish there. That might get their attention.

[formercia]

6. Toyota came out against whaling

not all Japanese are for whaling.

[RebelOne]

7. That head is so wrong. Since when is a whale a fish?

[Barrett808]

8. It's Japanese policy to treat marine mammals as fish

For the purposes of "marine resource management".

Crazy, I know, but there it is.