Friday, January 6, 2012

Non-Human Nations: Whales, Dolphins

5th World nations are simply "the nations not on the map", and national identity is an extension of human psychology.
However, the proprietor of "5th World News" has decided that it is reasonable to include information about non-human nations. While many speculate about intelligent non-human life on other planets, we humans share this planet with intelligent non-humans whose psychology manifests in the identity of "tribes" each with their own language.

Threats to Whales, Dolphins:
* The morbillivirus (akin to human measles) [link]

Defenders of the Whales and Dolphins!
* "Champions for Cetaceans": A site where supporters of whales, dolphins, and porpoises can network, share information, and join forces to help save Cetaceans [championsforcetaceans.com]

2012-08-13 "Japanese Island of Toshima makes Dolphins official Citizens" [http://www.whitewolfpack.com/2012/08/japanese-island-of-toshima-makes.html]:
On a small island 100 miles from Tokyo islanders, mostly fishermen, have declared resident dolphins to be citizens, fully protected while in the island's waters
 On Sept. 1st of this year the annual dolphin slaughter will take place in Taiji Cove, Japan. Japan is a nation where up to 20,000 dolphins are killed yearly. So a new development recently in Japan is wonderful news in stark contrast as to what usually goes on in Japan. On a small island 100 miles from Tokyo islanders, mostly fishermen, have declared resident dolphins to be citizens, fully protected while in the island's waters.
 This tiny island is called Toshima Island. The fishermen there want to show the world how some Japanese revere and protect wild dolphins. A long time Japanese ally, Elsa Nature Conservancy, has pledged to help the Toshima Islanders educate Japan about the wonders of wild dolphins.
The Toshima Dolphin Project as it is known will expand knowledge of this unique island and the relationship between the people of the island and its 16 resident dolphins. The project will provide a vision that will inspire their fellow countrymen and bring to them an understanding of the importance of allowing dolphins to remain free and safe from hunters' blades.
 This is a description of the Toshima Dolphin Project written by Sakae Hemmi of Elsa Nature Conservancy. "In 1995 a dolphin came to Toshima waters and remained. In 1998 the dolphin, named Koko, gave birth. The baby was called Piko. The mother and baby were so revered that they were registered as citizens of the island. Around 2010 several dolphins from Mikura island moved to Toshima and several have given birth. As of February 2012, a pod of 16 dolphins swims in the waters of Toshima."
 The Dolphin Project was originally spearheaded by a Mr.Moriyama. Unfortunately the Mr. Moriyama, died in February of this year. But others have picked up the cause because they feel so strongly that this message must get out. Currently funds are urgently needed to finish the project website, send a video team to the island to film the dolphins and fishermen and to make a DVD for release in Japan. They also plan to hold a symposium in Tokyo on dolphins in Japanese waters.
 But the main message that The Toshima Dolphin Project wants to portray was expressed by Sakae Hemmi as: "I think it important to have many people learn and experience that wild dolphins are animals that we can make friends with and live together. Toshima is a very important place to raise the Japanese people's consciousness to protect wild dolphins."
 Hopefully with the efforts of these wonderful fishermen from Toshima Island there may soon come a day when all dolphins can live off the Japanese coast without threat of dying in such a cruel manner as currently takes place in Taiji Cove.

2013-07-18 "Dolphin buddies remember each other after 20 years apart"
[fifthworldnews.blogspot.com/2013/08/2013-07-18-dolphin-buddies-remember.html]

2013-01-23 "Dolphins Crying for Help: What Marine Parks Don’t Want You To Know" [fifthworldnews.blogspot.com/2013/01/2013-01-23-dolphins-crying-for-help.html]

2012-05-19 "Japanese Ships to Kill 260 Whales in Name of “Science” by Kristina Chew
[fifthworldnews.blogspot.com/2012/05/dai-nippons-genocide-of-whales.html]

2012-05-18 "Talking To Dolphins Could Be Possible With New Device" by Beth Buczynski
[fifthworldnews.blogspot.com/2012/05/2012-05-18-talking-to-dolphins-could-be.html]

2012-05-18 "Endangered Beluga Whales At Risk From Destructive Oil and Gas Drilling" by Alex Ralston from "Center for Biological Diversity" [fifthworldnews.blogspot.com/2012/05/2012-05-18-endangered-beluga-whales-at.html]

2012-05-17 "WTO Rules US Dolphin Safe Tuna Label ‘Unfair’ to Mexico; Decision a Big Blow to Dolphin Protection, Say Environmentalists" by Maureen Nandini Mitra, Managing Editor for "Earth Island Journal" [fifthworldnews.blogspot.com/2012/05/2012-05-17-wto-rules-us-dolphin-safe.html]

2012-05-13"Captain Paul Watson Arrested In Frankfurt, Germany on Warrant Issued by Costa Rica" [fifthworldnews.blogspot.com/2012/05/sea-shepards-protectors-of-whales.html]

2012-04-06 "Thousands of dolphins may have died in Peru's massive die-off; cause could remain mystery" by Barbara Fraser [fifthworldnews.blogspot.com/2012/04/dolphins_06.html]

2012-04-03 "What’s Killing Thousands of Dolphins in the Gulf?" by Kristina Chew [fifthworldnews.blogspot.com/2012/04/dolphins.html]
"Save an acre of the Whale Nursery for Earth Day"
[https://www.nrdcgreengifts.org/earth-day?s_src=care2]
Help protect gray whales and their last undisturbed nursery on the planet in honor of someone special.
Every year, gray whales migrate thousands of miles to this pristine sanctuary: Laguna San Ignacio on Mexico’s Baja Peninsula. But new threats are emerging that could despoil it forever.
NRDC is working to permanently protect the whale sanctuary by putting 500,000 acres around the lagoon off-limits to industrial development — and your gift will protect one of those acres in the name of a loved one! $20.00



2013-01-07 "Sea Shepherd Australia To Lead Antarctic Whale Defense Campaign; Founder and President Captain Paul Watson Steps Down From Sea Shepherd U.S. and Australia"
[http://www.seashepherd.org/news-and-media/2013/01/07/sea-shepherd-australia-to-lead-antarctic-whale-defense-campaign-1477]:
At a press conference alongside the SSS Sam Simon at 10:00 am AEDT today in Hobart, the Australian Chapter of the global marine conservation non-profit, Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, announced it will direct the organization’s ninth Antarctic Whale Defense Campaign, Operation Zero Tolerance. Sea Shepherd founder and President, Captain Paul Watson, has stepped down from Sea Shepherd U.S. and Sea Shepherd Australia. The SSS Steve Irwin, typically captained by Captain Watson, will be manned by Captain Siddharth Chakravarty for the extent of the campaign. Captain Watson will remain aboard to document the campaign. Long-time colleague and advisor of Captain Watson, current board member Marnie Gaede will assume the role of President of Sea Shepherd U.S. while former Greens Party leader and former Australian Senator Bob Brown has joined the Board of Directors of Sea Shepherd Australia and will direct Operation Zero Tolerance along with Director of Sea Shepherd Australia, Jeff Hansen. These changes are being adopted in order for Sea Shepherd to continue its vital mission of defending at-risk whales in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary.
"I am honored to serve the great whales of the Southern Ocean and Sea Shepherd in this way,” said former Greens Party leader and former Senator Brown. My admiration for Paul Watson is inversely proportional to the Japanese government’s anger at Sea Shepherd's success at preventing the slaughter of almost 4,000 whales in recent years,” he added. “I ask Australians to support generously so that this great mission can continue.”
Over the past eight seasons, Sea Shepherd’s work defending whales has been endorsed by the majority of Australian citizens, hence Sea Shepherd is doing the job that most Australians want to see done to protect whales. Much like this past summer’s Operation Kimberley Miinimbi, Sea Shepherd’s Southern Ocean campaign is ultimately a project based in Australia and relates to whale protection in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary. Sea Shepherd Australia has always been heavily involved in the planning and fundraising for the Southern Ocean campaign. Sea Shepherd Australia’s directorship of the Antarctic Whale Defense Campaign is a natural evolution of Sea Shepherd’s growth around the world and in regions such as Australia.
“This is one of Sea Shepherd’s most widely followed campaigns, endorsed by hundreds of thousands of citizens around the world, but the fact remains the whales of the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary reside in Australia’s backyard,” Hansen said. “In fact, the whales at risk in the Southern Ocean are some of the very same whales who migrate there from the waters off the coast of Western Australia. It makes sense that Australians should take up the gauntlet and defend them,” he added.
Sea Shepherd has been engaging in interventions on the high seas in defense of marine wildlife for 35 years and for eight seasons against Japan’s Institute for Cetacean Research (ICR) — a front for illegal, government-subsidized whaling — all within the confines of the law and without causing serious injury. Each December, Sea Shepherd journeys to Antarctica to defend the whales inside a marine sanctuary from being killed by the ICR. Over the last eight campaigns in the Southern Ocean, Sea Shepherd has saved the lives of nearly 4,000 whales and exposed illegal Japanese whaling activities to the world.
In February of last year, the ICR lost a preliminary injunction they brought against Sea Shepherd U.S. to try and prevent the organization from protecting whales during this year’s Antarctic whale defense campaign, Operation Zero Tolerance. That decision was overturned last month and an injunction was issued by The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in Washington State in favor of the ICR. The whaling fleet has claimed injuries to their crew, although they have not been able to produce a shred of medical evidence confirming their claims. Meanwhile, Sea Shepherd has videotaped evidence of ICR ships ramming and damaging Sea Shepherd ships, in one case completely destroying a $1.5 million dollar vessel, injuring a cameraman and nearly drowning six crewmembers, but the ICR has not so much as even been questioned. Furthermore, in January 2008, the Federal Court in Australia ruled the ICR’s whaling to be illegal and issued an injunction against the whalers, but the whalers continue killing in violation of that court order. They are also hunting in the Australian Exclusive Economic Zone and are carrying loaded rifles on board their ships in a demilitarized zone, a violation of the Antarctic Treaty.
In addition to Hansen and Brown, former Federal Environment Minister of Australia Ian Campbell spoke at the press conference and had this to say about the campaign: “Sea Shepherd Australia has one mission this summer and that is 'Zero Tolerance' of blood in the Southern Ocean. The Japanese have armed their vessels with harpoons that maim and kill whales, and guns that can maim and kill humans,” he said. “Sea Shepherd Australia is there to protect whales and if its vessels have to get within 450 meters of a killer ship to save a whale, then that is what will be done. If the Japanese say they won't go within 450 meters of a whale, Sea Shepherd Australia will do the same,” he added.
Encouraged by the worldwide support being expressed for this campaign, Captain Paul Watson said: “Sea Shepherd Australia is in a very good position to lead this campaign in the Southern Ocean. We have every faith they will ensure Operation Zero Tolerance is a complete success.”
Background:
Australia instituted proceedings against Japan in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on May 31, 2010 and was joined by New Zealand on November 21, 2012 with respect to a dispute concerning Japan’s JARPA II program on “scientific whaling.”
The December 17th decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in Washington State overturns a previous ruling in Sea Shepherd’s favor. It mandates that Sea Shepherd U.S. must not physically confront any vessel or any person on any vessel engaged by plaintiffs, the ICR, in the Southern Ocean, and must not navigate in a manner that is likely to endanger the safe operation of any such vessel. It also states that defendants shall not approach plaintiffs any closer than 500 yards when defendants are navigating on the open sea. The injunction is to remain in place until the court issues an opinion on the merits of the appeal filed by the ICR.
The ICR lawsuit is funded by a Japanese government subsidy of some $30 million USD in Tsunami Relief Funds donated to aid the victims of the tsunami, earthquake and nuclear crisis, not to hunt whales. It is part of a larger strategy by Japan’s ICR to curtail Sea Shepherd’s interventions to defend at-risk whales in the established Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary. As a result of this plan, Sea Shepherd founder Captain Paul Watson is the target of two ‘red notices’ issued by Interpol put forth at the request of Costa Rica and Japan, which seek to extradite him to those nations for trial on trumped up, politically motivated charges related to defending marine wildlife from poachers.
Hansen and Brown collaborated this past summer to defend the largest humpback whale nursery in the world from development of the largest gas factory in the world at James Price Point during Sea Shepherd Australia’s highly successful campaign, Operation Kimberley Miinimbi.
Read Captain Paul Watson's statement [http://www.seashepherd.org/news-and-media/editorial-130107-1.html]


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