"Once more, Japanese taxpayers must be wondering why they are
funding this scandalous fake research operation which produces no
real science, whale meat that no one wants to eat, and brings their
country into international disrepute," said Greenpeace Southern
Ocean expedition leader Karli Thomas.
For fourteen days, the Greenpeace ship Esperanza chased the
whaling fleet's factory ship, the Nisshin Maru, over a distance of
4,300 nautical miles. Without the factory ship, the remaining
hunter vessels where unable to operate - bringing the entire
whaling programme to a halt.
While the Esperanza has all but exhausted its fuel supplies and
is returning to port, media coverage and public discussion on the
whaling issue has reached unprecedented levels in Japan, where
Prime Minister Fukuda has been forced to discuss the whaling issue
in Parliament.
The campaign is now moving from the high seas to Japan,
harnessing the power of people around the world: in the last week,
42,000 concerned camera owners from around have responded to
Greenpeace's call to email Fujio Mitarai, CEO of Canon Japan - a
company known for its support of conservation issues - calling on
him to speak out against whaling (2). Mr Fujio Mitarai is also the
head of the influential Nippon Keidanren (Japanese Business
Federation).
Other contacts: Dave Walsh, Greenpeace International communications officer on board the Esperanza. Tel: +47 514 079 86 or +873 324 469 014
Sara Holden, Greenpeace International Whales Project leader, on board the Esperanza. Tel: +47 514 079 86 or +873 324 469 014
Junichi Sato, Greenpeace Japan Whales Project leader, Tokyo.
Tel: +81-80-5088-2990 (GMT + 9)
Photos are available from John Novis, + 44 7801 615 889 in London (GMT+0) and video from Michael Nagasaka +81 806 558 4447 in Tokyo (GMT +9)
Notes:
(1) The Esperanza located the whaling fleet in the early hours of January 12th, and has been chasing the Nisshin Maru ever since. On January 22nd, Greenpeace activists blocked attempts by the Nisshin Maru to receive fuel from, and transfer whale meat to, the Panamian-registered Oriental Bluebird.
(2) http://www.greenpeace.org/canon
Greenpeace is an independent campaigning organisation that uses non-violent creative confrontation to expose global environmental problems to force solutions that are essential to a green and peaceful future.
Exp. contact date: 2008-03-05 00:00:00