TOKYO, Japan (14 June 2005) -- A week ahead of the annual IWC meeting, Japan is pushing for secret ballots to hide small countries that have taken bribes to vote against whale conservation. Governments and eco groups around the world that oppose the resumption of commercial whaling want tranparency to ensure that countries are held accountable for voting to kill whales rather than protect them. Ironically, many of the countries that have taken bribes from Japan to vote for the resumption of commercial whaling are small islands that rely heavily on tourism and use the concept of marine conservation to promote their nations as eco-friendly holiday destinations where dive travelers and tourists are invited to enjoy whale watching, dolphin encounters, and diving and snorkeling on pristine reefs. Eco groups such as Cyber Diver Society (CDS) argue that countries cannot have it both ways, that governments cannot be both for and against marine conservation at the same time. To pressure governments to stop the money-driven hypocrisy that helps Japan kill whales, CDS launched a boycott of seven small island nations - Palau, Antigua, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts, St. Lucia and St. Vincent - that are popular dive destinations and rely heavily on tourism. The campaign has received wide support in Japan where the vast majority of citizens do not eat whale and do not support attempts by ultranationists to equate whaling with being Japanese. | | Most Japanese do not eat whales and do not support Japan's commercial whaling industry which is supported by a small but powerful coalition of fishing industry bosses, extreme ultra-nationalist political groups, mass media conglomerates and 'yakuza' organized crime gangs. "Most Japanese don't wake up every morning hungering for whale meat," said conservation activist Ken Watanabe. "In fact, most Japanese don't eat whale and don't want to have anything to do with the political extremists, fishing industry bosses and organized crime gangs that smell big money poisoning our school children with toxic whale meat." [To vote against the resumption of commercial whaling, go to CDNN ACT NOW.] © CDNN - CYBER DIVER NEWS NETWORK |
