56 US Lawmakers Say: "Save the Whales!"
Posted by Page (in Amsterdam)
A few days ago, I posted about a very encouraging poll that showed a majority of US voters oppose Japan's so-called "scientific" whaling program, and that voters are more likely to vote for a presidential candidate who takes a firm anti-whaling stance. As an American who's had to suffer through 7 years of George W. Bush and his horde of anti-environmental supporters, I'm always afraid to get my hopes up regarding any environmental issue. However, this poll is definitely good news. I believe that it might represent a slow but certain shift in American voters' concern about environmental issue in general. I'll write more about that later.
Anyway, the news gets even better. It isn't just American voters who want whaling to end; some of their elected representatives do too. There's a letter written to the US Secretaries of State and Commerce, signed by 56 members of the US House of Representatives, regarding the upcoming IWC meeting.
I'll let the letter (pdf) speak for itself. Here are some excerpts (bold emphasis mine):
We are writing to express our serious concern with the erosion of U.S. influence and leadership within the International Whaling Commission. We urge the Departments of State and Commerce to work together to renew that leadership before the IWC reconvenes this May in Anchorage, Alaska.[The meeting is an opportunity] for the United States to re-establish itself as a leader on whale conservation within the Commission, and work with like-minded countries to safeguard the moratorium on commercial whaling and advance a strong conservation agenda that addresses the many and varied threats that confront the world's whales and dolphins.
The letter ends with the signatories' specific requests, which include:
- Publically restate the United States' strong opposition to the resumption of commercial whaling in any form;
- Convey clearly and unequivocally to all nations the United States' strong national interest in the protect of whales and the maintenance of the moratorium;
....
- Pursue all legal, diplomatic, and administrative tools available to end "scientific whaling";
- Refuse to engage in any negotiation or reinterpretation that would weaken the moratorium, legitimize lethal scientific whaling or otherwise weaken the IWC;
- Work with like-minded countries to ensure continued support for the IWC moratorium within other forums, such as the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species; and
- Make the achievement of these goals a matter of priority within your Departments.
The letter is signed by both Democratic and Republican Representatives, which is pretty amazing. The poll results also showed bipartisan support for ending whaling.
Just in case people in D.C. need a little push (yes, that includes you, Mr. President), the IFAW had a full-page ad in yesterday's Washington Post. Here's a screenshot (click to enlarge):
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(Click here to download the pdf.)
Anyway, I hope my country is waking up. I hope the State and Commerce Departments take the letter to heart. The US can be a leader at this meeting.
So, stay tuned... and in the meantime, you can drop George W. Bush a line. Let him know what the US needs to do at the IWC meeting in May!
