Minister Carter was very vocal in his (and New Zealand's) support for our expedition to the Southern Ocean, though he did tell us to be "be careful out there" - the Southern Ocean being a body of water known for its harsh conditions. He also said that he felt that the other anti-whaling nations need to do more to stop whaling.

Earlier, one of the stalwarts of Greenpeace New Zealand, executive director Bunny McDiarmid spoke, and also spoke about the danger of international complacency in the quest to stop industrial whaling (but was quick to reassure Mr Carter that she didn't think he was being complacent!). Bunny talked about what WE had to achieve - and she didn't mean the 35 of us about to depart to the Southern Ocean or even Greenpeace. She meant everyone. Which is why we need to get everyone involved, by getting them on board as campaigners.

Mike Donoghue, from the Department of Conservation, gave us a high-speed slideshow through his years or research on whales, in particular humpback whales. Disturbing - even to those of us working on to stop whaling, was his comparison with whale population estimates between from 1900 and the present day, as well as his observation that the reported catch of 12,500 humpbacks in the Ross Sea by a single (Soviet) factory ship and catcher boats during the 1959-1960 season probably alone represents at least six times the current breeding population in the entire South Pacific.

Although the Japanese whaling fleet doesn't intend hunting endangered humpbacks this year, they are aiming kill 50 of them in 2008.

From the New Zealand government's media website, Chris Carter's statement:
"The best way of solving this issue would be for Japan to abandon whaling and join other nations in respecting and conserving marine species that could be facing extinction. The best way of solving this issue would be for Japan to abandon whaling and join other nations in respecting and conserving marine species that could be facing extinction. New Zealand led a formal diplomatic protest on Japan in December to express concerns about this whaling and called on Japan to immediately cease its lethal whaling programme”

Minister Carter added that "twenty-seven countries supported the protest, signalling once again that significant world opinion is firmly opposed to Japan's methods”.

Beehive.govt.nz: Minister urges safety in the Southern Ocean
Also: NZ leads protest against Japan's whaling

Minister Chris Carter, giving a talk in the Esperanza's heli hangar, with Frank Kamp (captain) and Bunny McDiarmid (Greenpeace NZ)
© Greenpeace/Walsh

Mike Donoghue, from the New Zealand Department of Conservation (DOC), giving a talk on his research on Humpback whales (and other species) in the Esperanza's heli-hangar.
© Greenpeace/Walsh

Conservation minister Chris Carter and Greenpeace's John Bowler in deep discussion!
© Greenpeace/Walsh

Friends and allies of Greenpeace socialising - Auckland's Sky Tower in the background, and wait... are those whales I see?
© Greenpeace/Walsh