A Greenpeace activist facing prison for saving whales is calling on leaders to take political risks to rescue the International Whaling Commission and whales ahead of the annual meeting which starts in Morocco today.

Two Greenpeace activists are facing up to 18 months jail time for their part in exposing corruption within the Japanese whaling programme.

A public rally in front of parliament next Wednesday, June 2, will deliver thousands of petitions urging the Government to save whales, not whaling.

Greenpeace supporters have set up a whale graveyard in front of the Beehive in reaction to further details released today of a proposal which could legitimise commercial whaling and allow hunting to continue in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary.

Greenpeace today filed papers calling on the Japanese Government to re-open its investigation into the whaling industry’s corruption as the Japanese whaling factory ship, the Nisshin Maru, returned from the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary.

In a proposal being drawn up for the International Whaling Commission (IWC), New Zealand and Australian taxpayers may have to pay for a return to commercial whaling.

The New Zealand Government today signed a death warrant for the southern bluefin tuna, by increasing the catch in the race for the last of the species, says Greenpeace.

Greenpeace says new research involving New Zealand scientists and published today in Nature magazine, must surely convince our government of the urgent need for climate action.