Midnight Oil

Subject: Re: [powderworks] And we thought Peter had gone soft
From: "Beth Curran" <bcurran@columbus.rr.com>
Date: 5/03/2008, 11:28 pm
To: <powderworks@yahoogroups.com.au>, "Tom Spencer" <tomspencer@eml.cc>

I'd find it hard to believe the US would offer a whaling deal to Japan.  It'd be political suicide to propose such a thing.  My guess is that US citizens will continue to accept subsistence whaling for Native American peoples, but wouldn't permit any "research" (yeah, sure) or industrial whaling.  - Beth
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Tom Spencer 
  To: powderworks@yahoogroups.com.au 
  Sent: Wednesday, March 05, 2008 2:07 AM
  Subject: [powderworks] And we thought Peter had gone soft


  Howdy Powdies (which perhaps yet includes Mr Moronuki):

  Wednesday March 5, 01:53 PM 
  Garrett aggressive: Japan whaling chief
  Japan's whaling chief has accused Australian Environment Minister Peter
  Garrett of being aggressive and undiplomatic.

  Section chief of whaling at Japan's Fishery Agency, Hideki Moronuki,
  said Garrett's recent proposal to modernise the International Whaling
  Commission (IWC) was flawed.

  "Regarding the idea of the changes to the IWC, it is quite ridiculous.
  The IWC has been established in accordance with the International
  Convention for the Regulation of Whaling," Moronuki said.

  Moronuki said Garrett was less diplomatic than previous Australian
  environment ministers - and it's cost the former singer a fan.

  "I think he is very different from the previous ministers. He is very
  active and aggressive," he said.

  "He provided very aggressive messages to the public opposing activities
  including research whaling.

  "He showed up to the mass media very often compared to other ministers.
  Sometimes his message was very direct," he said.

  "Previous ministers ... take into account the political situation but
  minister Garrett is very, very direct.

  "When I was a high school student I used to listen to Midnight Oil. When
  I was a high school student I liked his music. Now I don't."

  Garrett has proposed reforms to the IWC to allow it to scrutinise
  scientific research of whales, and so stop Japan acting alone to kill
  the mammals in the name of research.

  The IWC should also put in place a plan to protect whales from a host of
  threats including climate change, pollution, collisions with ships and
  fisheries activities, Garrett has said.

  An Australian delegation will take the proposals to an IWC meeting in
  London this week.

  Moronuki also called on Australia to act against Sea Shepherd activists
  who this week threw bottles filled with foul-smelling butyric acid at
  Japan's main whaling ship in Antarctic waters.

  "That was an illegal, dangerous activity like terrorism caused by Sea
  Shepherd only. Taking into account the very dangerous nature of their
  activities I think the Japanese government has to take appropriate
  actions against those who undertake those activities - Sea Shepherd.

  "I cordially ask the Australian government to take appropriate action
  and if they can not take any legal action, at least they should provide
  full support to the government of Japan to cope with this important
  issue," he said.

  Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith condemned Sea Shepherd's
  action, although the activists denied Japan's assertion that several
  crew members were injured during the clash.

  Sea Shepherd founder Paul Watson told AAP that his vessel was continuing
  to follow the Japanese whaling ships.

  Watson also said he believed the United States had offered a deal to
  Japan on whaling, which would mean the Asian country could legally
  conduct whaling in the North Pacific.

  "I suspect they (Japanese whalers) may pull out of the Southern Ocean if
  they can get the legal whale hunt," he said.

  But Moronuki denied any deal had been reached with the United States and
  said his country had no plans to stop killing whales in the Southern
  Ocean.

  Japan is seeking to kill 935 minke and 50 fin whales in the Southern
  Ocean before this year's season ends when ice closes in at the end of
  this month.

  Moronuki would not comment on claims the whalers had killed less than
  half their planned quota of whales, citing security reasons.

  A spokeswoman for Garrett could not be immediately be contacted for
  comment.


   

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