The expedition to defend the whales is now under way. On Friday, the crew of our largest and fastest ship, the Esperanza, waved goodbye to supporters on the quayside in Auckland, New Zealand. It's now en route to the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary, as part of a global campaign to finally bring an end to whaling. It's also the last leg in the "Defending our Oceans" expedition which began in November 2005 and saw two of our ships - including the Esperanza, in Antarctic waters. On that trip, our activists managed to directly stop the killing of 82 whales, and this year they will again be putting themselves between the whalers' harpoons and the whales.
Greenpeace ship Esperanza departs for the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary.
The Esperanza's crew - 38 people from 16 countries - will be
searching for Japan's whaling fleet, which plans to kill 935 minke
whales and 10 endangered fin whales in what they claim to is
"scientific whaling", but which we say is nothing less than
commercial whaling.
But the expedition is just part of a much bigger campaign. Back
on land, our work to end whaling will be focused on engaging with
the two-thirds of Japanese people who do not support whaling in the
Sanctuary, via websites like Whale Love Wagon, as
well as building a global crew to campaign together via the website
whales.greenpeace.org.
"Last year our campaign forced corporations out of the whaling
business, now the Japanese government is spending tax payers money
on a redundant industry that the majority of the voters in my
country don't even agree with," said Junichi Sato, whales project
leader in Greenpeace Japan, speaking from Auckland.
"We want to work with the two-thirds majority at home who share
our view, so a clear message is sent from the people of Japan to
their own government to get out of whaling."
Pro-whaling organisations - such as the Institute for Cetacean
Research - often spin opposition to whaling as being "anti-Japan".
Our campaign will send a positive message that we love Japan - but
not whaling. We want to make it clear that while people all over
the world want to see an end to whaling, there is respect and
understanding of the Japanese people.
"The Japanese government is not the only one that we will be
challenging to stop whaling," said Esperanza expedition leader
Karli Thomas. "Too many governments have talked about protecting
the whales without taking action. They need to ensure that they
gain enough support inside the International Whaling Commission
(IWC) to begin the process of reforming it, so it becomes an
organisation that works for the whales and not for the
whalers."
How Can You Help?
First, join the biggest
crew ever - and start your campaign to stop whaling.
Ask Denmark!
Next month, the Japanese Government will host a meeting in Tokyo
to discuss the future of the whaling industry. Other governments
will be invited, in an attempt to create an illusion of widespread
support for an end to the International Whaling Commission's
moratorium on commercial whaling.
We're asking Denmark not to go to this meeting.
Denmark is a swing country at the IWC. It takes a strong
pro-whaling line because its delegation is dominated by the wishes
of Greenland and the Faroe islands. But a majority of its
population opposes whaling, and Denmark has supported many positive
initiatives to protect whales and maintain transparency at the
IWC.
Denmark don't go
Ask Denmark not to attend Japan's commercial whaling meet.
Crew weblog
Follow the expedition on the Ocean Defenders crew weblog.