NEW YORK, NY (17 July 2004) -- Cyber Diver Society (CDS) has announced a diver-led boycott of Palau, a small Pacific island nation that is colluding with Japan to block whale sanctuaries and reverse the ban on commercial whaling. The announcement from the world's largest eco diver group comes just ahead of the annual International Whaling Commission (IWC) meeting in which Palau is expected to vote with Japan and other small banana republics lured into supporting Japan's barbaric slaughter of whales by offers of financial aid, Tokyo sex tours and lavish gifts including SUV automobiles, golf club memberships and sport fishing boats. Palau officials deny charges that it has sold its IWC vote to Japan, however, many environmentalists believe there is ample evidence that Palau's position on whaling stems from under-the-table deals brokered by "yakuza" organized crime gangs that have muscled their way into Japan's fishing, whaling and tourism industries. "Sometimes people do bad things for money and sadly, Palau's government officials are no exception," said CDS President Evan T. Allard. "I cannot think of a better way to ruin Palau as a dive travel destination than to sell out to Japan for a slice of its projected whaling profits." | | Death by a thousand cuts: Welcome to 'sustainable use of marine resources' Japanese style. "We all know there are many world-class scuba diving destinations around the world," Allard added. "Given the choice between Palau's 'Blue Corner' colored red with Japan's 'blood money', or any one of the clean and eco-friendly blue corners of the world that are nurtured by countries such as Fiji, Australia, New Zealand and the Cook Islands that are genuinely committed to the protection of marine wildlife, I am confident dive travelers will make the right choice and avoid diving in Palau." ACT NOW: BOYCOTT PALAU © CDNN - CYBER DIVER NEWS NETWORK |
