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Whale activists threatened with eviction
Opponents of whale factory stand their ground
11 May 2005
The Whale Embassy in Ulsan, South Korea ... with campaigner Jim Wickens on the phone as usual!
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In early April, we uncovered plans by the Korean government to build a
whale meat factory in Ulsan. The discovery added to
growing evidence that Korea wants to reopen commercial whaling.
We established our Whale Embassy to open a dialogue with local people about the government's plans, to explain just how many people around the world oppose whaling, to call for a cancellation of plans to build the factory, along with assurances that Korea will not bow to pressure from Japan to resume commercial whaling.
We've had visitors and volunteers from the local community, the New Zealand Ambassador stopped by, and a great deal of local press attention.
But City officials are not at all happy with us tarnishing their reputation as the "City of whales" with our suggestion that Ulsan is actually heading toward becoming the "City of whaling." Our eviction notice stated they want us to leave because they claim we are in the way of the proposed Oceans Day ceremony on May 31st.
They have given us until Monday, May 16th to get off the site.
Stifling criticism
Whale campaigner Jim Wickens says: "It is quite clear that they want to stifle any criticism of their plans to build the factory. Today they showed us plans of the Oceans Day ceremony being planned, and on the entire 15,000 square-metre site, they don’t have any room for our little embassy. We have told them that any attempts to evict us forcibly will reflect very badly on their international image."
There have already been several attempts at intimidation, official and unofficial. According to Wickens: "Last night at four in the morning four local fishermen turned up looking for trouble, luckily there were others awake to come and help.
We have been tipped off that in Korea in sensitive political protests, thugs are often allowed to do the dirty work. There is a possibility that this may take the form of fake fishermen coming to beat us up."
The Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries has sent a fax to our headquarters in Amsterdam claiming we are distorting the truth.
They say that the whale meat factory will merely be a sanitary measure -- a way to hygienically butcher the whales which are "accidentally" killed by becoming entangled in nets, and those which might be killed in a possible programme of "scientific whaling."
Korea allows the commercial sale of whale meat from accidental kills. The Ministry didn't respond to our observation that Korea and Japan individually in 2003 caught more whales by accident than all the fishing fleets in the world combined reported.
Nor did they comment on the stories that local people have told us about some methods fisherman use to "accidentally" catch whales: ramming them with the ship to cause massive internal injuries.
We witnessed the butchering of a juvenile minke whale which was "accidentally" caught. The whale meat was packaged up for sale at a value of US$30,000.
At prices like that, you can well imagine why a city official might want to build a whale butchering factory.
The man who can stop the whale meat factory is Ulsan mayor, Mr. Park Maeng-woo.
Local businessmen, such as the deputy vice president of Hyundai, have been vocal supporters of the whale meat factory, apparently unaware of the brand damage which other multinational corporations have suffered when they've been exposed as having a close association to whaling.
Korea hosts the International Whaling Commission meeting this year in June. The meeting that could open the doors to a return to commercial whaling, which has been banned since 1985.
We're trying to warn Mr. Park Maeng-woo just how passionate people around the world are about saving whales -- how much his town's reputation, the reputation of Hyundai corporation, and the reputation of his country are at stake.
You can help us let the Ulsan mayor know just how important it is to Greenpeace supporters worldwide that he make the right decision and cancel the whale meat factory.
Watch the video of Jim speaking from the Whale Embassy
We established our Whale Embassy to open a dialogue with local people about the government's plans, to explain just how many people around the world oppose whaling, to call for a cancellation of plans to build the factory, along with assurances that Korea will not bow to pressure from Japan to resume commercial whaling.
We've had visitors and volunteers from the local community, the New Zealand Ambassador stopped by, and a great deal of local press attention.
City officials embarrassed
But City officials are not at all happy with us tarnishing their reputation as the "City of whales" with our suggestion that Ulsan is actually heading toward becoming the "City of whaling." Our eviction notice stated they want us to leave because they claim we are in the way of the proposed Oceans Day ceremony on May 31st.
They have given us until Monday, May 16th to get off the site.
Stifling criticism
Whale campaigner Jim Wickens says: "It is quite clear that they want to stifle any criticism of their plans to build the factory. Today they showed us plans of the Oceans Day ceremony being planned, and on the entire 15,000 square-metre site, they don’t have any room for our little embassy. We have told them that any attempts to evict us forcibly will reflect very badly on their international image."
There have already been several attempts at intimidation, official and unofficial. According to Wickens: "Last night at four in the morning four local fishermen turned up looking for trouble, luckily there were others awake to come and help.
We have been tipped off that in Korea in sensitive political protests, thugs are often allowed to do the dirty work. There is a possibility that this may take the form of fake fishermen coming to beat us up."
The Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries has sent a fax to our headquarters in Amsterdam claiming we are distorting the truth.
"Hygienic" butchering of "accidental" whale meat
They say that the whale meat factory will merely be a sanitary measure -- a way to hygienically butcher the whales which are "accidentally" killed by becoming entangled in nets, and those which might be killed in a possible programme of "scientific whaling."
Korea allows the commercial sale of whale meat from accidental kills. The Ministry didn't respond to our observation that Korea and Japan individually in 2003 caught more whales by accident than all the fishing fleets in the world combined reported.
Nor did they comment on the stories that local people have told us about some methods fisherman use to "accidentally" catch whales: ramming them with the ship to cause massive internal injuries.
A juvenile minke whale caught "accidentally" by a fishing vessel is butchered in Ulsan, Korea. The meat was then sold for US$30,000. Korea reports an unusually high number of "accidentally" killed whales each year which are legally sold for meat.
With our own eyes
We witnessed the butchering of a juvenile minke whale which was "accidentally" caught. The whale meat was packaged up for sale at a value of US$30,000.
At prices like that, you can well imagine why a city official might want to build a whale butchering factory.
The man who can stop the whale meat factory is Ulsan mayor, Mr. Park Maeng-woo.
Local businessmen, such as the deputy vice president of Hyundai, have been vocal supporters of the whale meat factory, apparently unaware of the brand damage which other multinational corporations have suffered when they've been exposed as having a close association to whaling.
Korea hosts the International Whaling Commission meeting this year in June. The meeting that could open the doors to a return to commercial whaling, which has been banned since 1985.
Tell the mayor to stop the whale factory
We're trying to warn Mr. Park Maeng-woo just how passionate people around the world are about saving whales -- how much his town's reputation, the reputation of Hyundai corporation, and the reputation of his country are at stake.
You can help us let the Ulsan mayor know just how important it is to Greenpeace supporters worldwide that he make the right decision and cancel the whale meat factory.
Watch the video of Jim speaking from the Whale Embassy
Stop the whale meat factory!
