Post by Argo on Oct 13, 2005 7:10:45 GMT -5
HONIARA, Solomon Islands (10 Oct 2005) -- CDNN news network and Cyber Diver Society (CDS) have announced the end of a boycott of the Solomon Islands.
CDNN and CDS launched the boycott last June after Paul Maenu'u, the Solomon Islands Minister for Fisheries and Marine Resources, voted in support of Japan's call to end the ban on commercial whaling at the 2005 International Whaling Commission (IWC) meeting.
After the boycott started, officials in the Solomon Islands denied that the island nation supported Japan's position and said that Maenu'u was instructed to abstain from voting on the issue at the 2005 IWC meeting.
CDNN and CDS then demanded that Maenu'u be fired from his post as Minister for Fisheries and Marine Resources.
After dragging its feet for several months, the government of the Solomon Islands finally issued an ultimatum to Maenu'u: resign or be fired.
"This is an important victory and we thank everyone who helped us achieve it," said CDS President Evan T. Allard.
"Sadly, the diving industy--DEMA, PADI and many dive travel companies--continue to ignore the marine environment and promote eco-unfriendly destinations, but divers everywhere are voting with their credit cards and their protest letters against countries such as Palau, Antigua, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts, St. Lucia and St. Vincent that collude with Japan to kill marine mammals," Allard added. "They can't have it both ways--they can't pocket Japan's bribes to kill marine mammals and then turn around with a big innocent smile and invite us to come enjoy encounters with whales and dolphins."
www.cdnn.info/news/eco/e051010.html
CDNN and CDS launched the boycott last June after Paul Maenu'u, the Solomon Islands Minister for Fisheries and Marine Resources, voted in support of Japan's call to end the ban on commercial whaling at the 2005 International Whaling Commission (IWC) meeting.
After the boycott started, officials in the Solomon Islands denied that the island nation supported Japan's position and said that Maenu'u was instructed to abstain from voting on the issue at the 2005 IWC meeting.
CDNN and CDS then demanded that Maenu'u be fired from his post as Minister for Fisheries and Marine Resources.
After dragging its feet for several months, the government of the Solomon Islands finally issued an ultimatum to Maenu'u: resign or be fired.
"This is an important victory and we thank everyone who helped us achieve it," said CDS President Evan T. Allard.
"Sadly, the diving industy--DEMA, PADI and many dive travel companies--continue to ignore the marine environment and promote eco-unfriendly destinations, but divers everywhere are voting with their credit cards and their protest letters against countries such as Palau, Antigua, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts, St. Lucia and St. Vincent that collude with Japan to kill marine mammals," Allard added. "They can't have it both ways--they can't pocket Japan's bribes to kill marine mammals and then turn around with a big innocent smile and invite us to come enjoy encounters with whales and dolphins."
www.cdnn.info/news/eco/e051010.html
