Guest guest Posted December 5, 2007 Report Share Posted December 5, 2007 URGENT sign-on request: We have credible information that orcas are expected to be captured in Taiji, Japan under the pretext of scientific research. We are sending a formal letter to the Japanese authorities, asking them to deny the capture permit and to conduct a proper scientific population study of orcas in Japanese waters. The draft letter is posted below. We need more NGOs to sign-on. Anyone interested in helping please contact me. Thanks, -- ric (DRAFT) Mr. Shuji Yamada, Director of Fisheries-General of Fisheries Agency of Japan 1-2-1 Kasumigaseki, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 100-8907 Japan CC: Chief of Whaling Section Far Seas Fisheries Division in Fisheries Agency of Japan 1-2-1 Kasumigaseki, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 100-8907 Japan CC: Mr. Ichiro Kamoshita, Minister of the Environment The Ministry of the Environment, Government of Japan Godochosha No.5, Kasumigaseki 1-2-2, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 100-8975 Japan CC: Mr. Masahiko Koumura, Minister of Foreign Affairs The Ministry of Foreign Affairs Kasumigaseki 2-2-1, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 100-8919 Japan Dear Director-General Yamada, We the undersigned represent (?) international organizations comprising (?) million members, including leading members of the financial and entertainment industries. With one unified voice, we hereby urge you to deny the request to capture orcas in Taiji, or any other port in Japan. To our knowledge, at least 1193 orcas have been slaughtered in Japan since 1954. Approximately 63 have been captured for public display, where most of them have died. Although the number of orcas in Japanese waters has shown a small increase since the 1970s, it could take several decades for the orca population to fully recover from the decimating captures and slaughter of the past. Japan is a party to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). As such, Japan has an obligation to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals does not threaten their survival. We urge you to honor your commitment to CITES and conduct proper scientific studies of orca populations before you consider issuing permits to remove any more orcas from Japanese waters. We further urge an end to trafficking in captive orcas due to the high mortality such captures and captivity entail. Sincerely, Advocates for Animal Rights - Bahamas Islands All Life In a Viable Environment - Japan AnimaNaturalis Internacional - Latin America Animalisti Italiani -Italy Animals Require Kindness - Bahamas Islands Animal Rights Hawaii - USA Animal Welfare Institute - USA Australians for Animals - Australia Asian Animal Protection Network - China Asociación Interuniversitaria para la Defensa de los Animales - Spain Born Free Foundation - USA The Captive Animals' Protection Society - UK Captive Dolphin Awareness Foundation - USA Care for the Wild - UK Coalition For No Whales In Captivity - Canada Cetacean Society International - USA Conservacion de Mamiferos Marinos - Mexico Dolphin Project - USA Dolphin Spirit Project - USA Diana Thater Studio - USA Fur-Free City - UK Earth Island Institute - USA Endeavor Media - USA Een Dier Een Vriend - Holland Elsa Nature Conservancy - Japan Environmental Investigation Agency - UK Friends of the Dolphins - Canada Fundación Altarriba - Spain GAIA - Belgium Grupo de los Cien, Mexico In Defense of Animals - USA Irish Seal Sanctuary - Ireland Karuna Society for Animals and Nature - India Kinship Circle - USA Last Chance for Animals - USA Lifeforce Foundation - Canada Linking Individuals for Nature Conservation - China Marine Connection - UK New York Whale and Dolphin Action League - USA OceanCare - Switzerland Oceanic Preservation Society - USA Ocean Friends - USA Orca Network - USA Peaceful Visions Travel - USA Pegasus Foundation - USA People 4 Animals - Canada Quaker Concern for Animals - UK ReEarth - Bahamas Islands Sarasota Dolphin Defenders - USA SODOPREC - Dominican Republic Society for the Conservation of Marine Mammals - Germany Society for Dolphin Conservation - Germany Stichting Dolphinmotion - Holland Surfers for Cetaceans - Australia Study Group on Mediterranean Cetaceans - France Swiss Animal Protection - Switzerland Swiss Coalition for the Protection of Whales - Switzerland Teyeliz - Mexico The Ben White Legacy Project - USA The Begley Family Foundation - USA The Hawley Family Foundation - USA Tursiops.org - USA Voices4Dogs -UK Wealth Effect Media - USA Wolf Spirit - UK Zoocheck - Canada Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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