A day to celebrate – South Korea abandons ‘scientific’ whaling plan

Posted on December 4, 2012 by Jeonghee Han

It’s been a turbulent five months for the future of whales in South Korea after the Seoul government made a shock statement in July at the International Whaling Commission (IWC) meeting in Panama, announcing that it was planning a ‘scientific’ whaling programme.

There was an uproar – ‘scientific’ whaling is just an excuse to kill whales for meat. Two weeks later, the day before my wedding, I was still doing media interviews about the plan and one of the guests brought a picket sign reading ‘No Whaling!’ to my wedding. Continue reading →

Another taxpayer lifeline for Japan’s dying whaling industry?

Posted on September 28, 2012 by Junichi Sato

I woke up this morning to reports that the Fisheries Agency of Japan, the body in charge of our whaling industry is seeking government funds to repair and re-fit the Nisshin Maru, the main factory processing vessel of the whaling fleet and make it more energy efficient. My country’s pointless Antarctic programme cannot take place without the Nisshin Maru. Continue reading →

What can our protected places teach us about saving the Arctic?

Posted on June 28, 2012 by Joe Smyth

Our national parks have been called “America’s best idea,” and Americans are proud of the special places we have protected for the inspiration and enjoyment of current and future generations. But protected areas from Florida to Alaska face new challenges on a warming planet, and melting sea ice means that a newly vulnerable area – the Arctic – is increasingly threatened by offshore oil drilling and industrial fishing. Protecting the Arctic is emerging as one of the great environmental challenges of our age – so what lessons can we learn from earlier generations who came together and won protection for the parks, sanctuaries, and wildlife refuges that we enjoy today?