Subject: Urgent! Help Save the Whales

[Guest guest]

--

 

 

Fwd: Urgent! Help Save the Whales

 

 

Japan is using economic aid to bribe small nations to join the International

Whaling Commission and vote to end the ban on whaling which has been in place

since the late 1980's. If Japan is successful in convincing Belize to do its

bidding, it will most likely have enough votes to get its wish.

 

 

 

The author of the following synopsis of the situation is a Canadian who owns a

major eco-resort in Belize. He has written a letter notifying the government

that he will sell off the resort, costing the nation more than 100 jobs and a

boatload of income.

 

 

 

Belize, by the way, is a tourist haven, particularly for Americans, with some of

the world's most beautiful beaches and great surf. Please drop a quick note to

the addresses listed below informing officials in Belize that you will not spend

a dollar in their country if they succumb to Japan's enticements.

 

Note: forwarded message and contact information is posted below.

 

 

 

Dear Friends,

 

 

 

As you may be aware, the International Whaling Commission ( IWC ) is holding

their annual meeting next month and this meeting could have a terrible outcome

for the world's whales. Japan is pushing very hard to resume commercial whaling

on a massive scale which will almost certainly wipe out or very seriously

compromise the survival of the relatively few whales that remain in our oceans.

Since commercial whaling began some 200 years ago it is estimated that 99% of

the world whales have already been killed and only 1% now remains. Despite

these shocking statistics Japan, Norway and Iceland continue to pressure the

world community to drop the moratorium on whaling and open this industry up

again on a large commercial basis.

 

 

 

In order to secure the votes they need to take control of the IWC, Japan has

been bribing small nations to vote on their side. Even nations that are land

locked and therefore have little or nothing to gain from commercial whaling are

entitled to a vote providing they pay their membership dues, something Japan has

been only too happy to pay for them as well as giving them other financial

'perks' to sway them to their side. This type of corruption and underhandedness

is obscene and should obviously be illegal yet it is legal and is going on at

this very moment.

 

 

 

It is expected that the vote to either continue the moratorium or scrap it

and resume wide scale commercial whaling may come down to one or two votes.

Unfortunately Belize, which is the country I am writing you from has been

infiltrated by the Japanese who have promised the country (

undisclosed ) financial perks if they vote FOR the resumption of whaling. This

position is completely contrary to Belize's reputation as being a country deeply

concerned with environmental and wildlife protection yet the Japanese have

somehow got through to them, paid off some politicians and have them now on

their side, or so it is strongly believed.

 

 

 

We have but one chance to change Belize's vote which could well be the vote

that the Japanese need to win a majority. Belize relies heavily on their

tourism industry for foreign income and economic growth and it is here we must

strike an immediate and decisive blow. What I am asking everyone to do is

please take a few minutes and write to the politicians who are listed below and

let them know that if they vote on the side of Japan that you will never visit

this country and will boycott Belize products. The letter need not be long,

just a few short sentences from enough people may be enough for these officials

to realize that there could well be a serious economic backlash should they vote

for the death of what little remains of the world's whale

 

population.

 

 

 

Please write to these people immediately for this may be our only chance to

save what few of these magnificent creatures that remain after hundreds of years

of brutal slaughter,

 

 

 

Sincerely,

 

 

 

Bruce Foerster

 

 

 

 

 

Please copy:

 

 

 

pmbelize

 

 

 

vision

 

 

 

envirodept

 

 

 

minbud

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

--

 

Richard O'Barry

Marine Mammal Specialist

One Voice-France, Miami Florida Office

Phone: 305-6684834

www.OneVoiceDolphinProject.com

 

 

--

 

 

_____________

Species Survival Network Discussion List

Post a message: ssn-list

Access your Member Account: http://servidor.confoto.cl/mailman/listinfo/ssn-list

Working within CITES for the Protection and Conservation of Species in

International Trade