Australia targets Japanese children with YouTube whale appeal

November 8, 2007

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Wed Oct 10, 1:26 AM ET

SYDNEY (AFP) - The Australian government has taken its fight against Japan's

whaling policies directly to the country's children, posting a propaganda video

on the popular Internet site YouTube.

Complete with Japanese subtitles, footage of frolicking whales and Australian

children expressing their love for the gentle giants, Environment Minister

Malcolm Turnbull presses the government's anti-whaling message.

" Can you imagine what life on Earth would be like without these magnificent

creatures? " Turnbull asks on the video-sharing website which draws millions of

mostly young viewers.

" We urge all countries, especially our friends in Japan, to bring their whaling

programmes to an end. "

Japan exploits a loophole in an international moratorium on whaling to kill

hundreds of whales in Antarctic waters each year in the name of research, while

making no secret of the fact that the meat ends up on dinner plates.

Australian anger has grown since Japan announced this year that it will for the

first time target humpbacks, which Australians call " our " whales as they migrate

northwards along the coast to breed each year.

Their slow and majestic progress draws some 1,5 million whale watchers, pumping

an estimated 225 million US dollars into Australia's economy annually.

Turnbull notes in the video that action by the international community meant

that whale populations were recovering from centuries of hunting.

But, he says pointedly, some countries are still killing whales " often under the

pretext of scientific research. "

Turnbull warned earlier this year that Japan's plan to include 50 humpbacks on

its hitlist of about 1,000 whales was " needlessly provocative. "

" It's important that Japan understands that the inclusion of humpbacks will have

an impact on perceptions of Japan in Australia, " he said.

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