Comments on: Japan Has A New Whaling Commissioner http://weblog.greenpeace.org.nz/whaling/japan-has-a-new-whaling-commissioner/ The Greenpeace NZ blog Tue, 06 Jan 2009 19:38:35 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc By: jo http://weblog.greenpeace.org.nz/whaling/japan-has-a-new-whaling-commissioner/#comment-1206 jo Sun, 14 Dec 2008 22:07:29 +0000 http://weblog.greenpeace.org.nz/whaling/japan-has-a-new-whaling-commissioner/#comment-1206 Thanks for your feedback again Marcus. I think that we are going to have to agree to disagree on this one, and that's fine with me! Thankfully, there are a range of groups who are all working towards the protection / defence of whales (Greenpeace, Sea Shepard, WWF, WSPA, but to name a few). All these groups come from slightly different philosophies and priorities, and therefore employ different strategies and tactics. I don't believe that there is only one right way to win this - in fact, I think that all these groups, working from different angles but pushing in the same general direction, is probably the best way to win this issue. Yes, I agree that for the 900 odd whales that are killed in the Southern Ocean it's a big deal for them! But this campaign will surely not be won on a whale-by-whale basis - a lot of hard work needs to be done to secure the long-term survival of whales, and that includes changes at an international legislative level, changes within popular opinion within Japan, as well as a lot of work on climate, pollution, over-fishing, and other issues effecting the oceans. jo Thanks for your feedback again Marcus.

I think that we are going to have to agree to disagree on this one, and that’s fine with me!

Thankfully, there are a range of groups who are all working towards the protection / defence of whales (Greenpeace, Sea Shepard, WWF, WSPA, but to name a few). All these groups come from slightly different philosophies and priorities, and therefore employ different strategies and tactics. I don’t believe that there is only one right way to win this - in fact, I think that all these groups, working from different angles but pushing in the same general direction, is probably the best way to win this issue.

Yes, I agree that for the 900 odd whales that are killed in the Southern Ocean it’s a big deal for them! But this campaign will surely not be won on a whale-by-whale basis - a lot of hard work needs to be done to secure the long-term survival of whales, and that includes changes at an international legislative level, changes within popular opinion within Japan, as well as a lot of work on climate, pollution, over-fishing, and other issues effecting the oceans.

jo

]]> By: Marcus Graham http://weblog.greenpeace.org.nz/whaling/japan-has-a-new-whaling-commissioner/#comment-1195 Marcus Graham Thu, 11 Dec 2008 07:32:18 +0000 http://weblog.greenpeace.org.nz/whaling/japan-has-a-new-whaling-commissioner/#comment-1195 I think the "hunting of 900 odd whales" is a Huge problem. The killing of even a single whale is a discrace!! And i think if you asked those 900 odd whales what they thought youd probably find that its the biggest problem those whales are facing. Greenpeace has abandoned those whales this year to the Japanese harpoons. That in itself is a total discrace. Greenpeace makes tens of millions of dollars world wide each year to "save the whales" And all the footage i have ever seen from Greenpeace are whales being killed. I was so ashamed last year to hear Greenpeace tell the media they couldnt afford to refuel and go back down. Such a lie. And as for the work Greenpeace does inside Japan..If you go onto you tube you can watch the "whale wagon" footage Greenpeace made. My favourite part is where Greenpeace members sit down to a whale feast and chow down on whale meat to get an idea of the taste and why maybe they eat them. Next they will be eating panda, black bears or great apes im sure. Greenpeace has lost the plot. They are as Paul Watson puts it..." Avon ladies of the enviroment movement" I think the “hunting of 900 odd whales” is a Huge problem. The killing of even a single whale is a discrace!! And i think if you asked those 900 odd whales what they thought youd probably find that its the biggest problem those whales are facing. Greenpeace has abandoned those whales this year to the Japanese harpoons. That in itself is a total discrace. Greenpeace makes tens of millions of dollars world wide each year to “save the whales” And all the footage i have ever seen from Greenpeace are whales being killed. I was so ashamed last year to hear Greenpeace tell the media they couldnt afford to refuel and go back down. Such a lie. And as for the work Greenpeace does inside Japan..If you go onto you tube you can watch the “whale wagon” footage Greenpeace made. My favourite part is where Greenpeace members sit down to a whale feast and chow down on whale meat to get an idea of the taste and why maybe they eat them. Next they will be eating panda, black bears or great apes im sure. Greenpeace has lost the plot. They are as Paul Watson puts it…” Avon ladies of the enviroment movement”

]]> By: jo http://weblog.greenpeace.org.nz/whaling/japan-has-a-new-whaling-commissioner/#comment-1186 jo Tue, 09 Dec 2008 22:46:32 +0000 http://weblog.greenpeace.org.nz/whaling/japan-has-a-new-whaling-commissioner/#comment-1186 Hi Marcus, I think your argument is a little simplistic for a number of reasons... Greenpeace does not focus its resources entirely on its whaling campaign - climate is a priority for the organisation, and that's why i support them. however much money GP has (and I wouldn't have a clue!) it's got to be spread over all of their campaigns, all over the world! greenpeaces campaign to save whales, is in itself not focused on the actions of the japanese whaling fleet. as this website points out (including in the blog that you've replied to) they do a lot of work INSIDE Japan, to address the root causes of the whaling industry, rather than heading south and doing battle on the seas, one whale at a time, year after year after year after year..... Greenpeace is looking for a long-term solution to this issue. and thirdly, the hunting of 900-odd whales by the whaling fleet is surely not the biggest problem that whales are facing - whales are being hit by increased shipping traffic, noise-blasted by sonar, suffocating on plastic bags & other pollution, their migration paths and those of their food sources are being effected by the climate crisis, not to mention the effects of over-fishing! The poor whales need help from GP and other organisations, but it's not just once a year in the southern ocean! Good on you Greenpeace team. Hi Marcus,
I think your argument is a little simplistic for a number of reasons…

Greenpeace does not focus its resources entirely on its whaling campaign - climate is a priority for the organisation, and that’s why i support them. however much money GP has (and I wouldn’t have a clue!) it’s got to be spread over all of their campaigns, all over the world!

greenpeaces campaign to save whales, is in itself not focused on the actions of the japanese whaling fleet. as this website points out (including in the blog that you’ve replied to) they do a lot of work INSIDE Japan, to address the root causes of the whaling industry, rather than heading south and doing battle on the seas, one whale at a time, year after year after year after year….. Greenpeace is looking for a long-term solution to this issue.

and thirdly, the hunting of 900-odd whales by the whaling fleet is surely not the biggest problem that whales are facing - whales are being hit by increased shipping traffic, noise-blasted by sonar, suffocating on plastic bags & other pollution, their migration paths and those of their food sources are being effected by the climate crisis, not to mention the effects of over-fishing! The poor whales need help from GP and other organisations, but it’s not just once a year in the southern ocean!

Good on you Greenpeace team.

]]> By: Marcus Graham http://weblog.greenpeace.org.nz/whaling/japan-has-a-new-whaling-commissioner/#comment-1175 Marcus Graham Fri, 05 Dec 2008 21:41:41 +0000 http://weblog.greenpeace.org.nz/whaling/japan-has-a-new-whaling-commissioner/#comment-1175 With over 200 million sitting in international bank accounts i can totally understand why Greenpeace wont go down to antartica to prevent the Japanese from killing whales."yer rite" Last year as the whaling fleet ran from Seashepherd ,Greenpeace made claims the fleet were running from them. Even tho the fleet has Never run from Greenpeace in the past. Greenpeace then placed a tiny zodiac between two large ships as they came together to refuel. This made a great photo op but achieved nothing. And as Seashepherd returned to shore to refuel so to come back Greenpeace told media they wouldnt refuel as they didnt have the funds even tho they had collected 20million that year for whaling. Its probably a good thing Greenpeace wont be going down this year as they make no difference to the killing of whales while they are there and are starting to look stupid in the eyes of the public. If i see any members of Greenpeace on our streets asking for money for the whaling i will go out of my way to bag them out! Shame on you guys... Marcus former greenpeace supporter With over 200 million sitting in international bank accounts i can totally understand why Greenpeace wont go down to antartica to prevent the Japanese from killing whales.”yer rite” Last year as the whaling fleet ran from Seashepherd ,Greenpeace made claims the fleet were running from them. Even tho the fleet has Never run from Greenpeace in the past. Greenpeace then placed a tiny zodiac between two large ships as they came together to refuel. This made a great photo op but achieved nothing. And as Seashepherd returned to shore to refuel so to come back Greenpeace told media they wouldnt refuel as they didnt have the funds even tho they had collected 20million that year for whaling. Its probably a good thing Greenpeace wont be going down this year as they make no difference to the killing of whales while they are there and are starting to look stupid in the eyes of the public. If i see any members of Greenpeace on our streets asking for money for the whaling i will go out of my way to bag them out! Shame on you guys… Marcus former greenpeace supporter

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