Can Obama save the whales? Photo: © Armed Forces Inaugural Committee/Master Sgt. Cecilio Ricardo, U.S. Air Force

Sara, our wonderful boss-of-all-things-whales here at Greenpeace International, went onto the brand new White House website of the Obama Administration this week, and searched for "whaling" (she’s very fond of whales).

This wasn't some random behaviour – she was following up on a story that's been doing the rounds, like this example in the Washington Post: "U.S., Japan Negotiate Over Whaling Limits".

Sara's search came up with no mention of whaling - not a major surprise, as we do understand that President Obama probably didn't anticipate whaling to be a priority at this early stage of his term. Ironically though, the website came back with the answer (see screenshot) :

"Did you mean dealing?"

Well, you know, maybe we do. While President Obama's been settling into the Oval office, a couple of ‘Holdovers' from the Bush era have been busy whaling and dealing in Hawaii – already trying to undermine Obama's foreign policy on whaling.

According to articles like the one in the Washington Post, US Commissioner of the International Whaling Commission, Dr. Doug DeMaster, and the US Chair of the IWC, Dr Bill Hogarth, were in closed-door negotiations with Japan over the weekend. These talks could result in increased whaling off Japan's coast, in return for an unspecified drop in Japan's so-called "scientific" (actually commercial) quota of whales hunted in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary. This trade-off will not benefit whale conservation – and could actually put additional endangered populations at risk. It's basically a form of "robbing Peter, to pay Paul".

Japan's commercial Southern Ocean whaling operation currently targets 935 minke whales and 50 endangered fin whales each season, under the guise of scientific research. A review of this programme by the IWC's Scientific Committee found that it has failed to reach a single one of its objectives. The IWC has stated that it does not need the data produced by this programme and has repeatedly asked Japan to call it off. Moving it to the coast of Japan is a crazy proposal - some populations of minke whale off the coast of Japan – known as J-Stock – are classified as endangered and will be at further risk from an increase in coastal whaling.

Before last November's election, Greenpeace USA asked Mr. Obama, "If you are elected president, what concrete steps will you take to convince Japan to stop whaling?"

He replied: "As president, I will ensure that the US provides leadership in enforcing international wildlife protection agreements, including strengthening the international moratorium on commercial whaling. Allowing Japan to continue commercial whaling is unacceptable."

President Obama has already scored a remarkable environmental goal this week, we know that whales were never going to make to the top of his agenda this quickly - but this dodgy wheeling and dealing has got to stop!

Japan's whaling industry and government negotiators will jump on any offer - no matter how daft, so long as it doesn't involve shutting down their whaling programme in the Southern Ocean - and their dream to return to full blown commercial whaling. Any deal that benefits the whalers will be detrimental to the whales and the antarctic environment.

So, we need you - and your friends, family, the people next door, and anyone you can recruit, to call on President Obama to appoint a IWC Commissioner - one with real experience in high-level international negotiations; and who will ensure that US position on whaling matches that of the Obama Administration and the American people: that commercial whaling should end, immediately.

Here's what you can do right now: Ask President Obama to end US whaling and dealing! »

Digg this story »



Photo: © Armed Forces Inaugural Committee/Master Sgt. Cecilio Ricardo, U.S. Air Force