VOTE BUYING IS AS LETHAL AS A LIVE HARPOON SAYS GREENPEACE IN GLOBAL WHALE WARNING

23 January 2002

Melbourne, Australia: Video screens – some 9 metres wide, and some smaller ones strapped to the bodies of campaigners – will appear around the world today as Greenpeace activists in 14 countries (1) issue an “Urgent Whale Warning”.

A new film compilation of Antarctic whaling - shot recently from the Greenpeace ship MV Arctic Sunrise – will spell out the imminent threat of a return to full-scale commercial whaling if Japanese Government “vote buying” is allowed to continue.

“This is a warning to the world,” said Greenpeace Oceans Campaigner, Sarah Duthie, speaking from the Arctic Sunrise now in Melbourne after seven weeks protesting Antarctic whaling. “We have witnessed first hand the whalers work in Antarctica but Japanese Government vote buying is as lethal to whales as a live harpoon.”

Although a Japanese official has admitted using fisheries aid to buy support for whaling (2), thus corrupting the International Whaling Commission (IWC), only New Zealand has publicly condemned the Japanese Government for these underhand tactics. Ten nations have already received more than $US210 million in aid to join the IWC and vote with Japan (3). If vote buying is allowed to continue the Japanese Government could achieve a majority at the next IWC in May and immediately start to overturn the ban on whaling (4).

In today’s global protests Greenpeace calls on Governments to join New Zealand and publicly denounce the Japanese Government for vote buying. In major public places and outside Japanese embassies public signatures will be collected, and fax and email facilities set up so that the public can urge their Foreign Ministers to act. The public will also be invited to join the Greenpeace Global Whales Action Team (5).

The day starts in New Zealand where a floating video screen will tour the downtown Auckland waterfront. It will finish on the other side of the world with human video screens delivering their message to Government officials. In Austria a 9 metre long minke whale will draw attention to the video screens, and in Chile screens will be set up in two ports. Instead of videos a giant pink whale will spread the message in Melbourne, Australia, while in Fiji a banner will be hung from the Greenpeace office in Suva.

“If vote buying isn’t stopped the Japanese Government could wipe out the result of 30 years work to protect the whales,” said Yuko Hirono, Greenpeace Oceans campaigner. “Commercial whaling has never been sustainable and can never be sustainable. Governments must denounce vote buying and show that they are not prepared to sell-out the whales.”

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
Sue Cooper, Media Officer: + 61 (0) 408268024



MV Arctic Sunrise - Greenpeace Oceans Campaigner: Sarah Duthie (English language)
or Yuko Hirono (Japanese) + 61 (0) 438740454



Footage and stills available: Greenpeace International Video Desk: +31 20 52
49 543 and Photo Desk: +31 20 52 49 580

2. In an interview with ABC TV, Australia, at the time of the 2001 IWC meeting, Mr. Komatsu a senior member of the Japanese delegation admitted that Japan had to use the “tools of diplomatic communications and promises of overseas development aid to influence members of the International Whaling Commission".

3. The Fisheries Agency of Japan now enjoys the support of ten nations whose votes are paid for: Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Guinea, Grenada, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, St. Lucia, St. Kitts and Nevis, Solomon Island, Panama and Morocco. All except Morocco have voted with Japan on every issue. Last week Greenpeace released figures showing The Japanese Government has already spent more than 320 million US dollars on buying a return to commercial whaling. In 2001 alone more than 47 million was spent on fisheries aid grants to six countries. The Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, Lester Bird, admitted that the money was in return for voting with Japan on whaling issues. The Caribbean News Agency (CANA, 16 July 2001) reported him saying: "So long as the whales are not an endangered species, I don't see any reason why if we are able to support the Japanese, and the quid pro quo is that they are going to give us some assistance, I am not going to be a hypocrite; that is part of why we do so."

4. The votes of these countries, combined with those of nations like China, Korea, Norway and Russia, which vote with Japan for their own reasons mean that the Fisheries Agency is within 3 or 4 votes of having a majority in the IWC. The Fisheries Agency of Japan is believed to have stepped up its vote buying drive, concentrating on West Africa.

5. Members of the Global Whales Action Team (G-WAT) receive regular e-mail updates on the campaign as well as action alerts. Visit the website below to join.

For an account of the MV Arctic Sunrise campaign and Global Day of Action information click here.