Update from Jim Hines of the Los Padres Sierra Club!
“My campaign to stop Japan from whaling off the Ventura and Santa Barbara county (California) coast (in international waters) is gaining momentum.
I will be meeting with Japanese government officials (in Los Angeles) next week and the week after with California Fish and Wildlife officials in Sacramento on this matter. The ocean waters surrounding Channel Islands National Park are one of the world’s richest bioregions and is plentiful in plankton which is the main food source of all whale species.
Whale watching is a major economy in the coastal areas of Ventura and Santa Barbara with thousands of people from around the U.S. coming here to see and learn about whales and the ocean environment in general. I detest the fact that Japan thinks that whaling is needed with so many our world’s whale species at risk and I will do everything in my power to stop Japan from whaling.”
Have you guys done this yet? Whales don’t have email accounts and depend on us.
Action – Write an email against Japanese whaling.
(A message from Jim Hines of the Los Padres Sierra Club)
Greetings Marine Activists:
Whales, majestic creatures of great beauty but the strength of their beauty cannot prevent a massive torpedo from ripping apart their huge bodies.
And the killing of whales will start soon as Japan has officially withdrawn from the International Whaling Commission and will start to kill whales in a few months. Several other nations (Russia, Norway, Australia) have also announced that they intend to begin whaling.
Worldwide public pressure is important if we are to stop the slaughter by Japanese whalers.
The state of California will consider drafting a letter at a meeting of the CA Fish and Game Commission on February 6 2019. We would like this letter to be sent to the Japanese Prime Minster and other Japanese government leaders.
We would like the letter to strongly voice California’s objection to Japanese whaling.
Please send a email to the commission before January 30, 2019 asking the commission to send a strong letter of opposition to whaling by the Government of Japan.
Emails go to the commission at this address: fgc@fgc.ca.gov
Please reference commission agenda item # 29.
for whales, wild and free,
Jim Hines, Team Leader
Sierra Club California/Nevada Wildlife Team
Question from Indivisible Ventura (IV): What about the other countries?
They have not officially withdrawn. Have say they would, but at this time only Japan has officially withdrawn and stated publicity that will start whaling in the world’s ocean waters in about two months. Once the other nations officially withdrawals then we can plan action.
This means that Japan could whale in international waters off our coast.
I feel California has some leverage with Japan, we are a large trading partner with Japan and while Japan is the worlds third largest economy, California is 4th.
– Jim
Question from IV: What else can we do?
The Governor has directed the state Fish and Game Commission (which regulates CA ocean waters) to draft the letter. So that is where we are placing our action now. I have been talking with the commission staff, they have not yet started the draft letter but will have it ready by January 30th for commission consideration at February 6th meeting in Sacramento.
I am still working on the Sierra Club strategy on how do we boycott Japan economically and what else to do, this just came up.
Not exactly sure why Japan is so eager to start at this time.
– Jim
Going to see the world? Consider NOT giving your money to Japan.
Reading
- Whaling in Japan (Wiki)
- Japan killed 50 whales in antarctic protected area, data shows (guardian)
- Japan to resume commercial whaling, defying international ban. (NYTimes)
- Murky waters: why is Japan still whaling in the Southern Ocean (the conversation)
- Sea Shepherd permanently abandons Antarctic whale wars with Japanese boats (ABC)
INDIVISIBLE VENTURA 