June 2, 1998
HARPOONED WHALE ATTACKS BOAT
A minke whale, fighting for its life,  turned the tables on a 53 foot Norwegian whaling boat that had wounded it with a harpoon.  The whale rammed the boat, breaking its mast and dumping two of the crew into icy Arctic water.  The whale escaped but there was no word on its chances for survival.  The crewmen,who had been stationed in the crow's nest looking for whales, were rescued, one with cracked ribs.
(AP report from Norwegian paper Verdens Gang)

May 15, 1998
ICELAND CANCELS WHALING FOR THIS YEAR
The reason given was lack of harpoons that oxymoronically reduce suffering (probably length of time it takes whales to die) although it is more likely due to pressure from fish exporters concerned about loss sales as a means of  protesting whaling.


May 15, 1998
Rep. DON YOUNG KILLS METCALF RESOLUTION
By maneuvering Washington's Rep. Jack Metcalf's House Resolution opposing whaling out of the House International  Relations Committee and into his own National Resources (Exploitation) Committee, Don Young effectively killed it.

May 15, 1998
MAKAH COUNCIL MEMBER GOES TO JAPAN
The purpose of the trip is to discuss trading "mammal" products on the international market, a strong indication that the Makah bid to resume whaling was more profit-oriented than culture-reviving.


May 7, 1998                                           
SEA SHEPHERD ASSEMBLES FLEET TO PROTECT WHALES

http://www.SeaShepherd.org  and http://www.estreet.com/

The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society has so far assembled a fleet of 22 vessels, including private yachts and zodiacs, to protect any gray whales the Makah tribe tries to pursue and kill.  The fleet will be known as the Whale Guardians Network.  The more defenders the more effective the defense.  Anyone with a craft that can sail on Neah Bay or who can volunteer to crew should get in touch with the organization at
PO Box 628, Venice CA 90294 USA     Tel 310-301-7325    Fax 374-3161
email  seashepherd@seashepherd.org

CONGRESSMAN TRIES TO DISSUADE MAKAH
The members of Makah tribal council who want to resume whaling against the wishes of the world as a whole are facing serious opposition both from within their own tribe and the world at large.  Even their  own Congressional representative Norm Dicks is diplomatically trying persuade them to "weigh the benefits of pursuing whaling against the consequences" and to pursue "less controversial" ways of promoting  tribal interests.  Six of the nine members of the Washington congressional delegation have stated their opposition to the Makah intention to kill gray whales.

For those who have not been following this issue the US representative to the International Whaling Congress connived with the Russian delegate to swap tribal whale quotas around giving the Makah the right to kill four gray whales.  See Congressman Jack Metcalf's letter linked at the beginning of this page.

May 5, 1998
LAWSUIT HEARING TO BE HELD BEFORE OCTOBER
The lawsuit filed against the US Government to prevent the Makah from killing whales has been assured of a hearing before October when the Makah whalers have announced their intention to begin killing gray whales.  The suit charges that permitting the Makah to kill whales would violate the Environmental Policy Act, the Marine Sanctuaries Act, and the Whaling Convention Act.

The lawsuit was initiated by Australians for Animals and Breach Marine Protection of the UK.  It was immediately joined by Congressman Jack Metcalf and later by the Fund for Animals and members of the Makah tribe who oppose whaling as well as a number of individual activists.

To learn how you can join in,  click on Lawsuit


May 2, 1998
JAPAN CAUGHT WITH ENDANGERED WHALES
The latest DNA technology has enabled scientists to ascertain that flesh from endangered whale species is being served in Japanese restaurants. 

Using a portable laboratory, Dr. Scott Baker and colleagues from the University of Auckland, New Zealand, have determined that 10 to 15%
of the whale flesh being sold on the Japanese market is coming from endangered fin, humpback, sei, Brydes and even the more critically
endangered blue whale.

The information is being turned over to the International Whaling Commission (IWC).   Japan annually kills several hundred minke whales, which are not classified as endangered, under the guise of "scientific whaling" which is allowed by IWC regulations.  The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES} has banned all international trade in whalemeat for commercial purposes.

April 29, 1998
CANADIAN INUIT PROPOSE KILLING BOWHEADS
Reuters reports that Canadian Inuit propose to renew a "cultural tradition" of killing bowhead whales.  The Canadian Government has classified the whales as "critically endangered" and the Inuit have not hunted them for 80 years.

This proposal was predictable following US connivance at the October IWC meeting to grant the Makah tribe in Washington State a quota of gray whales.  (Click on letter from Congressman Metcalf above.)

It may also have been abetted by the Irish proposal before the IWC to permit whaling in coastal waters worldwide.

Subsequent whale news69

Home page       Recent Updates52      Spring 1998 "C-paper"

Irish proposal to resume commercial whaling      "C-paper" index