Post by LSDeep on Nov 19, 2005 22:14:52 GMT -5
Antarctica expedition first leg in year-long ocean voyage
Greenpeace ships will set off this weekend in an attempt to confront the Japanese whaling fleet, who are intent on killing almost 1,000 whales.
The expedition to protect whales in Antarctica is the first leg of a year-long Greenpeace voyage to protect the oceans from a multitude of threats. Over the coming months, the voyage will campaign against fish farming in Ecuador, illegal fishing in west Africa, climate change, overfishing and other dangerous practices which threaten oceans and their wildlife throughout the world.
Taking in four of the worlds five oceans, the tour will also attempt to map the most sensitive areas of the seas, with the ultimate aim of establishing a worldwide network of marine reserves - essentially national parks at sea.
The Greenpeace ships Esperanza and Arctic Sunrise will leave Cape Town and head towards the Southern Ocean, where Japanese ships armed with harpoons are openly flouting an international ban on commercial whaling. Earlier this year, Japan announced its intention to kill 935 minke whales - twice as many as last year - and also to expand its hunt to include humpback and fin whales - both of which are endangered.
Greenpeace have taken on the Japanese fleet previously. In 1999, a series of exchanges, during which activists used inflatable boats to prevent the whale hunt, culminated in a whaling vessel intentionally ramming the Arctic Sunrise.
The Japanese Government exploits a loophole in international law which permits it to issue licenses for scientific whaling. However, the meat from the whales ends up in restaurants and supermarkets in Japan.
Willie Mackenzie, Greenpeace oceans campaigner, said: "Despite a worldwide ban on commercial whaling, this winter the Japanese fleet are going to kill hundreds of whales.
"Theres absolutely no scientific basis for what they're doing, and the Japanese Government should recall the fleet immediately. Whales face a multitude of threats from humanity, and the one threat we can stop immediately is whaling. As long as the whalers seem determined to drive the worlds remaining whale populations further towards extinction, then were going to go out and try to stop them. "But it's not just whaling that is wrecking our oceans. Illegal fishing, pollution and destructive fish farming are all taking a horrific toll. And that's why were setting off on a year long expedition to protect our oceans."
For more information, contact the Greenpeace press office on 020 7865 8255.
Media briefings on the threats to whales and the threats facing the oceans are available from the Greenpeace press office.
Greenpeace ships will set off this weekend in an attempt to confront the Japanese whaling fleet, who are intent on killing almost 1,000 whales.
The expedition to protect whales in Antarctica is the first leg of a year-long Greenpeace voyage to protect the oceans from a multitude of threats. Over the coming months, the voyage will campaign against fish farming in Ecuador, illegal fishing in west Africa, climate change, overfishing and other dangerous practices which threaten oceans and their wildlife throughout the world.
Taking in four of the worlds five oceans, the tour will also attempt to map the most sensitive areas of the seas, with the ultimate aim of establishing a worldwide network of marine reserves - essentially national parks at sea.
The Greenpeace ships Esperanza and Arctic Sunrise will leave Cape Town and head towards the Southern Ocean, where Japanese ships armed with harpoons are openly flouting an international ban on commercial whaling. Earlier this year, Japan announced its intention to kill 935 minke whales - twice as many as last year - and also to expand its hunt to include humpback and fin whales - both of which are endangered.
Greenpeace have taken on the Japanese fleet previously. In 1999, a series of exchanges, during which activists used inflatable boats to prevent the whale hunt, culminated in a whaling vessel intentionally ramming the Arctic Sunrise.
The Japanese Government exploits a loophole in international law which permits it to issue licenses for scientific whaling. However, the meat from the whales ends up in restaurants and supermarkets in Japan.
Willie Mackenzie, Greenpeace oceans campaigner, said: "Despite a worldwide ban on commercial whaling, this winter the Japanese fleet are going to kill hundreds of whales.
"Theres absolutely no scientific basis for what they're doing, and the Japanese Government should recall the fleet immediately. Whales face a multitude of threats from humanity, and the one threat we can stop immediately is whaling. As long as the whalers seem determined to drive the worlds remaining whale populations further towards extinction, then were going to go out and try to stop them. "But it's not just whaling that is wrecking our oceans. Illegal fishing, pollution and destructive fish farming are all taking a horrific toll. And that's why were setting off on a year long expedition to protect our oceans."
For more information, contact the Greenpeace press office on 020 7865 8255.
Media briefings on the threats to whales and the threats facing the oceans are available from the Greenpeace press office.