GREENPEACE STEPS UP ITS WHALING CAMPAIGN IN THE SOUTHERN OCEAN

29 December 1999

Southern Ocean -- Greenpeace today prevented two Japanese whaling ships from continuing their hunt of Minke whales in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary by positioning inflatable boats in front of the ships. Greenpeace also called for an immediate halt to illegal Japanese whaling inside the Sanctuary.

"On the threshold of a new Millennium it shouldn't be necessary for humans to place themselves between a whale and a harpoon in order to stop the illegal hunting of whales," John Bowler, Greenpeace campaigner on-board the MV Arctic Sunrise said. "Whaling should be relegated to the past with all the other outdated destructive practices that have damaged the planet over the past 1000 years."

"The dawn of a new century is the right time for nations to truly begin working together to ensure a safe and peaceful future - and they should start by bringing diplomatic pressure to bear on Japan to live up to its existing international commitments and stop illegal whaling," Bowler said.

The Southern Ocean around Antarctica was declared a whale sanctuary in 1994 by the International Whaling Commission (IWC) and has been off limits to commercial whaling ever since. By hunting whales in the Sanctuary Japan is violating the UN Convention on the Law of the Seas, which requires all states to co-operate with the IWC in the matter of whale protection.

Every year the IWC passes a resolution condemning Japan for whaling in the Sanctuary and calls on it to stop its so-called "scientific" whaling program but so far only Britain, the US, Australia and New Zealand have taken soft diplomatic moves to pressure Japan to stop whaling.

The IWC has also found that the data collected from Japan's "research" whaling program is not required for whale management, because commercial whaling will never be allowed within the sanctuary. This year Japan intends to hunt 440 Minke whales in the name of "scientific research", even though the whale meat produced will be sold on the open market in Japan.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
- John Bowler, Greenpeace Oceans campaigner on board the MV Arctic Sunrise +11.873.624 453 210 [satellite rates]
- Audrey Cardwell, Greenpeace Oceans campaigner in Australia +61.419.292 013
- Mika Railo Greenpeace International Press Desk in Amsterdam, +31.6.212 969 08

- Photos can be viewed and ordered at http://www.greenpeace.org/library/picturedesk.html