[Fwd: Whaling: Japan's vote-buying in the Carribbean]

snifferdog44@hotmail.com wrote:
>
> Dear Cerninfo members,
>
> As you are aware, Japan and Norway continue to be a stumbling block
> in
> the international consensus to ban commercial whaling. As the
> International Whaling Commission gears up to meeting in London
> mid-this year, Japan is shamefully determined to defy global opinion
> and even enlist the support of some Caribbean States in the IWC in
> vote-buying to secure its position and defeat voting on banning of
> commercial whaling.
>
> It is targetting Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, St Lucia, St Vincent
> and the Grenadines among others. The Carribbean states, despite their
> economic-vulnerability should not allow themselves to unwittingly
> lose
> their respect by serving Japanese interests which merely see them as
> pawns in an international game in which they do not look to the
> Caribbean states as equal partners, but as easy prey. This cannot be
> let stand, our respect demands that our leaders resist Japanese
> tokenism and manipulation.
>
> As journalists it is vital that we let our people and the
> decision-makers know that the Japanese should not use the Caribbean
> to
> satisfy their whetting apetite and greed for whale meat.
>
> The threat of commercial whaling should be eliminated once and for
> all, and at this time and age, the Caribbean should stand with the
> environmental conservation movement not the destroyers. The names of
> the Caribbean should evoke respect, not contempt, and the Japanese
> who
> have the muscle to shoulder the contempt shown against them, have
> shown how much they hold the small states in contempt by buying them
> out to vote and side with them.
>
> Japan is not interested in finalising the Revised Management Schedule
> through the International Whaling Commission. It has objected to any
> move and consensus to stop whaling in designated oceanic sanctuaries.
>
> It has been seeking to subvert by all means necessary maintenance of
> a
> ban on international trade; no high seas whaling; and end of abuse of
> scientific whaling especially in the Southern Ocean sanctuary.
>
> Please ensure that decision-makers in the Caribbean are aware and
> refuse to be part of Japanese manouvres and contemptuous machines. As
> much as possilbe please urge citizens to ensure that we don't join
> the
> whaling-pariahs of Norway and Japan who are in great need of allies
> in
> their soiled-effort internationally, and have no qualms about soiling
> the image of small-states in their greedy quest for whale meat.
>
> The Caribbean should not play Judas to the International Whaling
> Commission. We should say no to Japans' 30 pieces of silver to help
> them betray the whale.
>
> Jimmy Firewalker,
> Eco-Activist
> Caribbean.
Received on Thu Apr 5 22:42:46 2001