“Baleinafric”
57th International Whaling Commission Ulsan, Korea. June 20-24, 2005.
With Japan playing the pied piper, a new factor of Intra-African unification and cooperation is in the making. Benin, Cameroon, the Ivory Coast, Gabon, Guinea, Mauritania, Morocco, and Senegal all support the Japanese initiative to develop whaling in the Southern Ocean Sanctuary. Togo, Mali, and Gambia are in the process of integration into the International Whaling Commission (IWC). Only South Africa voted against JARPA II (see press release in French “J’harponne II”, June 7, 2005).
Harpoon II
At the 57th session of the International Whaling Commission (IWC), to be held in Ulsan, South Korea from June 20th-24th, Japan will introduce JARPA II, a new long-term whaling programme in Antarctica, which would be made legal by a scientific research loophole. JARPA I (Japan’s Whale Research Program under Special Permit in Antarctica), in place since 1988, exclusively tracks and captures Minke whales. The annual quota of these “scientific” hunters was 300 whales. Since 1995, the total exceeds 400. All this takes place in the Antarctic Sanctuary established by the IWC in 1994.
Sinking trees
The Goro Nickel project in New Caledonia is catastrophic for the marine environment and coral reefs. The project is also disastrous for the terrestrial environment. The forest fires in New Caledonia demonstrate the insufficient means and techniques at human disposition to fight against the catastrophies. This insufficiency on land also holds true for the ocean and coastlines. The black chemical tides generated by the arrival of raw materials and Goro Nickel mine exportations would not be counteractable. The Polmar plan (Marine Pollution Plan) and means in New Caledonia are laughable.
Whale in the Mud
The New Caledonia project conducted by the Canadian mining company Inco, known in Canada and Central America for infractions against human rights and the environment, must immediately be stopped by the French government, specifically the Minister of Finances, who contributes to the project, as well as the Minister of Ecology, who is responsible for the protection of biodiversity in New Caledonia.
