President Clinton, in his last Asian Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting, personally expressed concern about Japan’s hunt to Prime Minister Mori. According to White House sources, economic sanctions are still on the table, and a report on the progress of the sanctions, as specified under the Pelly Amendment, is being prepared for Congress.
“It’s like going to a wildlife refuge to hunt,” said Audrey Cardwell, Greenpeace Oceans Campaigner. “The rest of the world has declared the Southern Ocean off limits because of its importance to the revival of the great whales. If Japan continues to defy international conservation measures, it will face the consequences.”
The U.S. initiated the process for imposing sanctions in early September when the Japanese fleet was in the North Pacific Ocean hunting Bryde’s, sperm, and minke whales. Bryde’s and sperm whales are both classified as endangered under U.S. law.
“Until the U.S. and other countries take strong action, Japan’s fleet will continue to hunt,” continued Cardwell. “We urge President Clinton to leave a true whale sanctuary as part of his environmental legacy.”
Greenpeace was at the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday, November 14, 2000, protesting the Japanese hunt and urging the U.S. to act. The demonstration featured a life-size whale tail protruding from a pool of blood-red fabric. Photos of this visually stunning protest are available from Greenpeace.
Last winter Greenpeace’s ship, the Arctic Sunrise, sailed into the Southern Ocean Sanctuary to meet the Japanese whaling fleet and interfere with the hunt. The sustained action gained international attention, and many countries in Europe, South America, and the South Pacific openly condemned Japan’s slaughter.
