Europe Unites to Defend the Whales

[flvegan]

The European Union agreed on Thursday to take a unified stand against whaling in a statement issued just days before the International Whaling Commission (IWC) meeting this month.

"With this decision the European Union can now take a strong role at the International Whaling Commission and use all its political, moral and economic weight to ensure a more effective protection of whales worldwide," said EU Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas.

The European Commission has been spearheading efforts to find a joint position but as the 27-nation bloc is not yet a party to the IWC, it cannot negotiate on behalf of member states. Environment ministers meeting in Luxembourg adopted a common position based on support for the current moratorium on commercial whaling, the setting up of whale sanctuaries and encouraging the use of non-lethal methods to collect scientific data.

"There is no need to kill whales to obtain scientific information about whales," the EU's executive Commission said in a statement. “Adequate data for management purposes can be obtained using non-lethal techniques," it added.

“This is exciting and welcome news,” said Sea Shepherd Founder and President Captain Paul Watson. “With Australia’s Labor government backing down from its campaign promises to aggressively defend the whales, the united European position will help to take up the slack.”

More at link:

http://www.seashepherd.org/news/media_080606_1.html

Considering their close proximity and economic ties, maybe this will also help convince Norway and Iceland to abandon their whaling practices.

[Annces]

1. Great news

They want to end the Canadian seal killing too.

[flvegan]

2. Correction: The EU less fucking Denmark. Why? Danish Faroe Islands.

Last week (June 5th) the European Union agreed on a common position to support the continuation of the global moratorium on commercial whaling. The European Union will present a united front at the annual meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) in two weeks.

Denmark however has decided to be the sole European Union member to exclude itself from this united front.

"With this decision the European Union can now take a strong role at the International Whaling Commission and use all its political, moral and economic weight to ensure a more effective protection of whales worldwide," said Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas.

Denmark responded to this statement with hostility calling the move "cultural imperialism."

Denmark does not openly support commercial whaling, although it supports whaling in the Faeroe Islands and Greenland - which, while part of the Danish Kingdom are not part of the European Union.

"For 20 years, Denmark has held the same position in support of these other parts of the kingdom," said Ole Samsing, a Danish diplomat to the European Union who is also the country's IWC commissioner.

"It is cultural imperialism trying to decide on behalf of these people who are not in the European Community," he said.

The horrific annual slaughter of thousands of defenseless pilot whales every year in the Danish Faeroe Islands is just as cruel as the dolphin slaughter by the Japanese in Taiji. The children of the Faeroe Islands have a higher level of mercury in their bodies than even the children of Taiji, Japan.

I have fought Faeroese whalers and the Faeroese authorities for years. We have had dramatic confrontations in Faeroese waters in 1985 and 1986 and again in 2000 trying to stop the pilot whale drive where entire pods are driven into shore, knifed, speared, stoned and clubbed in a barbarous orgy of cruelty and waste.

I have seen the bays of the Faeroe Islands stained red with blood and I’ve heard the screams of mortally wounded whales pleading for their lives as insensitive brutes drunk on slaughter are showered in the hot blood of the whales, laughing and swearing as their vicious blades rape the whales repeatedly. It is a monstrous spectacle and it is an obscenity fully embraced by the Danish government and many of the Danish people.

Link:

(WARNING: GRAPHIC PHOTOS)
http://www.seashepherd.org/editorials/editorial_080610_1.html