The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), the
nation's largest animal protection organization with more than 7.3
million members and constituents, condemns Japan for killing a Bryde's
whale and continuing with an expanded hunt to target not only minke
whales but Bryde's and endangered sperm whales despite threats of trade
sanctions from the U.S. and appeals from world leaders and environmental
groups.
The HSUS is calling on President Clinton to enforce
these threats and not let Japan continue to kill these whales for
"scientific" purposes that can be pursued through non-lethal means. For
years, the Japanese have been hunting minke whales under the guise of
scientific research despite the International Whaling Commission's (IWC)
repeated condemnation, and now Japan has taken its disregard for the
whales one step further. On Aug. 3, The HSUS sent President Clinton a
letter urging him to impose trade sanctions against Japan under the
Pelly Amendment, because the country's refusal to abandon the expansion
of its scientific whaling program undermines the international treaty
that regulates whale management. Now that the Japanese press reports
that the whaling fleet has been successful in killing a Bryde's whale,
it is imperative that the U.S. follow through on its threats.
"They stepped over the line when they killed this
Bryde's whale," said Dr. Naomi Rose, HSUS Marine Mammal Scientist.
"Japan exploits the IWC's loophole on hunting for scientific purposes,
and now the U.S. must follow through on trade sanctions or Japan will
rightfully ignore the U.S. and its empty threats in the future," she
said.
It is reported that six Japanese whaling ships are
targeting 100 minke, 50 Bryde's and 10 sperm whales for this hunt. The
sperm whale is protected under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. The
Bryde's whale, while not on the endangered species list, is recognized
as a species in need of protection, particularly under international
trade regulations.
"The population status of the Bryde's whale is unknown,"
Rose said. "No country should be hunting a species when its status is
unknown. That's an outdated and dangerous conservation practice." Media
Note: Copies of the letter to President Clinton are available on the
HSUS web site at www.hsus.org or from the media contacts listed.
Source: [email protected] (Dan Spomer)
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