More Easy Steps to Stop Whaling

In addition to last post, these easy actions need to be done.

International Fund for Animal Welfare
June 21, 2005

Several weeks ago, you sent more than 10,000 letters to several key countries asking them to vote against Japan's proposal to reopen the hunt for humpbacks in international waters.

Your heartfelt activism has already made an impact: In South Korea, the city of Ulsan (where this year's International Whaling Commission meeting is being held) has declared they will abandon plans to build a proposed whale and dolphin meat processing factory.

We are also encouraged by the early voting of the Government of China, which is asserting its leadership for whale conservation instead of just following Japan as it has done in past years.


The fate of humpback whales hangs in the balance

But the most important whaling votes are yet to come, including a resolution criticizing Japan's humpback whaling proposal. We need to keep the pressure on to make sure the songsters of the sea never have to face the cruelty and suffering of explosive harpoons ever again.

So far, Japan's efforts to push forward their pro-whaling agenda have been thwarted at this year's whale meeting, but Japan is working furiously to fly in other registered pro-whaling countries to shift the balance before the end of the week.

We can't come close to matching the millions of yen Japan's government is spending to push through their whaling agenda, but with your help (http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?ID=M69547667416387215890665), we may be able to ensure conservation-minded countries carry the day at this year's meeting, protecting whales and the commission set up to protect them.


Please Tell As Many As You Can

In response to Japan's horrific proposal to slaughter humpback whales in international waters, we've created a Stop Whaling Action Center (http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?ID=M69547677416387215890665) to collect as many signatures as we can from around the world. But we need your help to let others know about it (http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?ID=M69547687416387215890665).

Can you help us reach 50,000 signatures?

Once you've signed the petition (http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?ID=M69547697416387215890665), please pass it along to friends, family and neighbors who care about making sure we don't lose the songs of the sea forever. Simply click here to tell your friends (http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?ID=M69547707416387215890665).

It's not too late to stop the killing of humpbacks in the open ocean. But we must act now. The crucial vote could come at any day during this week's IWC meeting.

It's also very expensive to send our team to Korea to fight to make sure the result of the IWC is whale conservation, not killing more whales. If you can make a contribution to support IFAW right now (http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?ID=M69547717416387215890665), it would be greatly appreciated.

If we tell as many others as we can about the unfolding tragedy about to occur in our oceans, we can win this fight.

Sincerely,

Fred O'Regan
President and CEO