Jennifer Marohasy

a forum for the discussion of issues concerning the natural environment

Archives for May 9, 2007

An Update from Ann Novek on Whaling in the North

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“The controversial Icelandic whaling fleet captain, Mr. Kristian Loftsson, has stated that whale hunting is a matter of independence.

Some government ministers have as well claimed that whale hunting is an internal affair and not any other nation’s business. Many people, however, believe that such talk is nationalistic nonsense.

http://icelandreview.com/icelandreview/search/news/Default.asp?ew_0_a_id=251371

The whaling issue has split Iceland into almost two equal camps. Intellectuals in Universities and the tourist industry oppose whale hunting. US gigantic super market chain, Whole Foods Market, has decided to stop marketing Icelandic products because of Iceland’s decision to resume commercial whaling, and UK consumers have been told to boycott Icelandic fish. Tourists, however, seem to be still travelling to Iceland .

The Icelandic Government keeps their decisions on whaling quotas secret for as long as possible.

Only some weeks ago, the Prime Minister, Mr. Haare, told the international media that “ Iceland’s unsure to continue commercial whaling”.

http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?click_id=31&art_id=nw20070415124412250C494522&set_id=

Well, the decision has now been made. The total minke whale quota this season is 74 animals. The Government has issued permits to kill 38 minkes for the commercial hunt and the quota for the scientific hunt is 36 minke whales.

Iceland killed its first minke on Friday for the commercial hunt , and the scientific hunt will begin on May 8.

The minke whale meat is intended for the domestic market. The Icelandic Marine Research Institution estimates that about 200 to 400 minkes in Icelandic waters can be hunted in a sustainable way.

http://icelandreview.com/icelandreview/daily_news/?cat_id=16539&ew_0_a_id=281010

It is not known yet if Iceland will continue to hunt Fin whales this year. It all depends on if there is a market for Fin whales in Japan. Last years the decision to kill 9 Fin whales was met with an international outcry.

Another whaling nation, Norway, has been struggling with whaling for some years and resumed whaling April 1. So far 21 minkes have been reported killed. By the same time last year, which was a very bad one for whalers, 17 minke whales had been killed.

http://www.fiskeribladet.no/default.asp?lesmer=5210

I’m wondering will Iceland and Mr . Loftsson hunt Fin whales this season and will Norwegian whalers fill their whaling quota?

Ann Novek
Sweden

Revisiting the Overseas Press Club Award: The Campaign to Jail Richard Ness (Part 4)

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“On 24 April 2007, the Manado court [in North Sulawesi, Indonesia] handed down a decisive, unambiguous verdict clearing my Dad [Richard Ness] of all charges and declared that Buyat Bay was never polluted, the fish are safe for human consumption and the people are fine.

Now let’s rewind almost two years back to 27 April 2005. This day the Overseas Press Club (OPC) awarded New York Times reporter Jane Perlez the prestigious Whitman Bassow Award, which recognizes “Best reporting in any medium on international environmental issues”.

The OPC panel of judges awarded Jane Perlez this honor because her reporting “detailed evidence in the village of Buyat Bay of skin tumors, rashes, breathing difficulties, and headaches.” But most noticeably, it is the claim that it wasn’t “until the Times series appeared [that] the Indonesian government and the mining company had turned a deaf ear to the problem” and that it was Jane Perlez’s series of articles that “forced the government to take legal action against Newmont”.

Read the rest of this blog post and watch the video of the presentation here: http://www.richardness.org/blog/revisitingtheoverseaspressclubaward.php

Budget Not Big on Climate

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Last night the Australian Treasurer, Peter Costello, handed down the budget for the nation for the next financial year (2007-08).

There were tax cuts, big increases in spending on higher education, but surprisingly little in response to all the community hysteria over climate change.

There was not a word on a possible carbon tax or emissions trading system – just an $8,000 subsidy for solar panels.

The treasurer reiterated that the government will spend $10 billion over 10 years to conserve and sustain Australia’s water supply – this money will mostly go to the Murray Darling Basin.

You can read more here: http://www.budget.gov.au/2007-08/overview/html/index.htm .