Prognosis for the weekend: no whaling (we hope)

[Guest guest]

===== A message from the 'makahwhaling' discussion list =====

 

FROM WASHINGTON CITIZEN'S COASTAL ALLIANCE

-------------------------------

 

SEKIU, WA: 9:37am PDT

 

There is no sign of activity from the Makah whalers today, which gives us

ALL the opportunity to show up for the big land protest today in Sekiu!

(Meet at 'the Rock' by 1:00pm) Everyone here looks forward to seeing you!

The World Whale Police is on the water today- scouting for any possible

activity, and that leads to our first item:

*****

 

 

 

FROM WORLD WHALE POLICE

------------------

May 18, 2000

 

Yes, it is true, the World Whale Police Patrol Boat Tiger is back on patrol

off Neah Bay, Washington.

 

We picked Tiger up from the Coast Guard yesterday, had the glass replaced,

vacuumed out all of the broken glass and other pieces of the roof lying in

the boat and brought it back to Sekiu. With a good team of people, eager to

see us back on the water, we managed to do some basic repairs to make it

sea-worthy again and were back out on the water today.

 

Basic repairs to us means, tying the roof down with some line, using bulldog

clips to fasten the torn interior in a place, so that it will not obscure

our vision, and lifting the deck and placing it back onto the hull of the

boat, where it belongs, and duct taping it all in place. Of course a few

screws and silicone helped along the way. We also had to fasten Julie's

seat back in as it was knocked completely free of the floor and make some

changes to protect her from further injury. The good news is that there

were no serious fractures to the hull near the water line and the engine

runs like a purring kitten.

 

With that we were back out on the water today.

 

We had a very warm welcome out off shore from all of our friends of Ocean

Defense International and Brett Siler who have been holding down the front

while we were out of commission.

 

We intend on being out on the water as much as possible to keep the gray

whales safe. Of course you already know that the migration is done except

for a few calves and mothers, which of course are off limits. Yesterday,

the Peninsula Daily News reported that despite this information the Makah

still intend to hunt whales, so our job is not done yet.

 

We need your help.

 

First, please call or write to National Marine Fisheries (see our earlier

action alert for address and phone and fax numbers) and ask them what they

are doing to ensure the Makah are not hunting calves and mothers and

resident whales as well as when they are going to call an official end to

this migration.

 

Second, if you are able to help out with a donation for fuel and a few

repairs, we would be very grateful.

 

Bill & Julie

 

You can reach us at: P.O. Box 94

Sekiu, WA 98381

Tel: (360) 963-0717

Cell: (360) 561-7492 or (416) 451-5976

e-mail: worldwhalepolice

*****

 

 

 

FROM BREACH MARINE PROTECTION

-------------------------

THE MEETING OF THE UNITED NATIONS MILLENNIUM FORUM IS 22-26 MAY 2000 AT

UNITED NATIONS HEADQUARTERS IN NEW YORK

 

Breach Marine Protection has finally got the great whales (and other

Cetaceans) onto the United Nations Millennium Forum agenda.

 

If you have not already done so, will you please help the world's remaining

populations of whales, dolphins and porpoises to finally gain some

meaningful protection. Will you send a letter of support for this initiative

to the UN

Forum, by e-mail and ordinary mail if possible, telling them you wish to see

Breach Marine Protection's submission adopted at their meeting, with the

strongest possible recommendation to the UN Secretary Kofi Annan. And

please,

forward this message to your group members, friends and acquaintances asking

them to do the same. For those that already have responded, our SINCERE

THANKS. Attached is our full submission to the UN Forum.

 

FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME, THE PEOPLE REALLY CAN

'SAVE THE WHALES'

 

IT'S DOWN TO US....

 

Thank you in anticipation.

 

Address your letters of support to:

 

Richard Jordan, NGO Committee on Sustainable Development,

<Richardjordan

cc'd to:

Esmeralda Brown, United Methodist Organization,

<ebrown

 

The Millennium Forum

Executive Committee

866 United Nations Plaza

Suite 120

New York, NY 10017-1822

USA

 

Best regards,

 

David Smith

Campaigns Director

Breach Marine Protection

 

http://www.Breach.org: incl. the World-Wide Sign-On Petition in support of

the 'Peoples Resolution on the Abolition of Inhumane Commercial Slaughter of

Whales' (now with over 10,000,000 group sponsored and individual signatures,

from more than 40 different Nations!)

 

United Nations: http://www.millenniumforum.org

 

International Whaling Commission:

http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/iwcoffice/

*****

 

 

 

ANOTHER SAD BUNCH OF INDIVIDUALS

(And bad news for Makah entrepeneurs)

------------------------

 

Norwegian whalers are devastated by a plunge in international blubber

prices. Minimum prices for blubber, a whale's thick fatty outer layer, are

now at a penny a kilogram, sharply down from last year's 50 cents.

Nevertheless, about 35 Norwegian whaling vessels will set out this month to

harpoon a quota of 655 minke whales. Norway has been stockpiling hundreds of

tonnes of blubber since it resumed commercial whale catches in 1993, defying

a global moratorium by the International Whaling Commission. However, it

insists it will respect an export ban set by the IWC and not try to sell to

the Japanese, who consider blubber a delicacy.

*****

 

 

 

'LETTER TO THE EDITOR' OF THE WEEK

------------------------

(Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

 

Authentic cultural revival would bring back tribal warfare

 

Speaking in defense of the fact that the Makah have integrated motor boats

and 50-caliber rifles into their traditional whaling ceremonies, Ben Johnson

recently made the telling statement, " Times change and we have to change

with the times. " Considering the other customs that identified the Makah

during their whaling heyday, truer words could not have been spoken.

 

Indeed, an authentic cultural revival would require the resurrection of

inter-tribal warfare, slavery and the occasional human sacrifice. So why do

they insist on whaling, but not launching a return to these other practices

that also defined them as a people?

 

Despite advancements made in human rights, modern society has yet to fully

extend its circle of compassion to non-human animals. It's no wonder the

Makah still feel justified in considering whales their property to sacrifice

as they once did their slaves.

 

Jim Robertson

*****

 

 

 

'THE' WEB-SITE

-------------

As always, visit www.stopwhalekill.org for the latest news and information

regarding the Makah whale hunt.

*****

 

 

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