Greenpeace observers pull in dead dolphin bycatch

The Court of Appeal today (Monday 31st October) ruled that it was legal for the government to make an order to limit pair trawling despite the fact that scientific evidence suggested the order would kill more dolphins than it would save.

Greenpeace was appealing an earlier decision in the High Court on the 10th October by Mr Justice Burnton. Justice Burnton had dismissed the environmental group's challenge to the lawfulness of a decision by Fisheries Minister Ben Bradshaw to ban pair trawling for sea bass by British boats within British coastal waters. However the Judge had given Greenpeace leave to appeal stating that the matter involved a question of public interest and had real chance of success.

During this earlier hearing Government measures to conserve dolphin populations in the English Channel had been exposed as merely a hollow political gesture. Despite refusing to quash Ben Bradshaw's decision, the Judge had concluded that the Fisheries Minister had made decisions based on 'no substantial scientific basis'. He cited Bradshaw's own admission that the ban is 'more of a gesture really than anything that would actually help the dolphin and porpoise population'.

Greenpeace Ocean's campaigner Willie Mackenzie said,

"We are disappointed that the Appeal Judges didn't find in our favour despite the fact there was no scientific evidence for the 12-mile ban and it was purely a hollow political gesture. Greenpeace's campaign to get the UK Government to take real action to protect dolphins will continue. Every fishing season that pair trawling is allowed means the needless deaths of hundreds of dolphins, pushing us closer to a time when you may no longer be able to see common dolphins in the English Channel."

Pair trawling, a fishing method normally used to catch sea bass, involves two boats dragging a huge net between them. Dolphins are trapped in the nets and drown. Last year, government observers witnessed just one pair of UK trawlers killing more than 150 dolphins. The UK and French fleets combined are estimated to drown more than 2000 common dolphins a year.

Greenpeace is calling on Ben Bradshaw to ban pair trawling up to the mid-point of the English Channel (the limit of British sovereignty) and work with the European Commission to achieve a total ban on this fishery.

ENDS

For more information, contact the Greenpeace press office on 020 7865 8255.

Minke whale

With dramatic timing a planned whale and dolphin meat processing factory due to be built in the host city of this years International Whaling Commission (IWC) has been shelved. The decision, reported in the South Korean publication The Hankyoreh comes just days before this years IWC negotiations on conserving whale stocks begins.

This years IWC meeting is due to be held in the south-east port of Ulsan, historically known as the city of whales. The local council Ulsan City Council had planned to build a whale meat processing plant in Jangsaengpo, Ulsan. Work was due to commence in the autumn of 2005 after the construction of the Cetacean Research Centre was finished.

After learning of the whale butchery plans Greenpeace and Korean Federation for Environmental Movement (KFEM) volunteers set up a protest site in the form of a whale embassy outside the proposed factory site, volunteers have been occupying the site for the past two months.

Greenpeace Oceans campaigner Willie Mackenzie said:
"Greenpeace and KFEM are greatly encouraged by news released today in the South Korean publication, The Hankyoreh, that plans to build a whalemeat factory in Ulsan, South Korea have been scrapped."

"If these reports are true, Greenpeace and KFEM welcome the South Korean government's courageous move. By scrapping the planned whale meat factory, the South Korean government is showing that it does not support whaling, and it does not wish to follow in the footsteps of the Japanese government in their determination to destroy the world's dwindling numbers of whales. We hope that this move towards whale protection will be extended to the IWC, and that the South Korean government will now vote in favour of whale protection and vote against a resumption of commercial whaling."

Scientific evidence shows that whales are in serious decline in Korean waters because of high incidents of 'accidental' by-catch, amongst other threats. In 2003 alone, Korea "accidentally" caught in excess of 84 whales, compared to less than five per year in non-whaling nations. Dead whales are sold for prices up to $100 000 on the legal whale meat market.

Despite a worldwide ban on commercial whaling, it is estimated that this year three countries (Japan, Norway & Iceland) will between them kill over 2,000 whales. Japan and Iceland do this under the guise of 'scientific' whaling and Norway has resumed commercial whaling and continues to hunt. The IWC is due to commence on 20th June and run until 24th June.

Further information:
Contact Greenpeace UK press office: 020 7865 8255

Whale meat. on sale in Pusan, South Korea

Secret plans by the South Korean Government to build a whale and dolphin meat processing factory, despite an international ban on whaling, have been exposed today (7 April) by Greenpeace.

The factory is planned to be built in the very city that will host this year's meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC), the body set up to halt the loss of whale populations. Historically known as the 'City of Whales', the south-east port of Ulsan will host the IWC meeting in June.

Earlier today, 50 activists set up a protest camp at the site of the meat factory and unfurled a banner calling for 'Sanctuary Not Cemetery'.

The international hunting of whales is banned but South Korean Government figures show that 'accidental' catches of whales in their waters are up to 100 times greater than other countries.

While South Korea has no official whaling industry, if a whale or dolphin is caught in a fishing net it can be sold for a huge price. In 2004, the average price of a mature minke whale was US$100,000.

Scientists believe that even the most populous whale species in Korean waters, minke whales, are in serious decline because of this trade.

Sarah Duthie, head of Greenpeace's oceans campaign, said: "Is South Korea planning on harpooning whales out of the ocean and onto their dinner plates? There seems to be no other reason to build a brand new whale and dolphin butchery plant.

"Any resumption of the whaling industry will decimate whale numbers. South Korea mustn't be allowed to drive whales towards extinction. It's vital that governments attending the IWC meeting, under whose very noses this factory is being built, make sure that whales get the protection they deserve."

A total ban on whaling was implemented in 1982 by the IWC, in order to protect the marine mammals from being hunted to extinction; whale populations were dwindling and attempts to regulate the industry had failed.

Further information
You can contact the Greenpeace press office on 020 7865 8255, or Sarah Duthie on 020 7865 8297.

For more details, including a plan of the proposed whale and dolphin meat processing factory, visit www.comebackwhales.com