Greenpeace Statement on the Departure of Japan's Whaling Fleet

Speaking from the Greenpeace ship Esperanza, currently standing by off the coast of Japan, expedition leader Karli Thomas said "This isn’t science – it’s business masquerading as science. This whaling program is stealing money from Japanese taxpayers, and robbing other countries of much-needed tourist income. The threatened humpbacks targeted by the whalers are part of thriving whale watching industries elsewhere. The whaling fleet must be recalled now. If it is not, we will take direct, non-violent action to stop the hunt.

Greenpeace is collaborating with Pacific-based scientists through the Great Whale Trail project, demonstrating that whale research can be done effectively and non-lethally. The Great Whale Trail has been monitoring the location of tagged humpback whales as they migrate to the Southern Ocean from the Pacific. The Great Whale Trail website will also track the Japanese whaling fleet as it heads south.