Jennifer Marohasy

The Japan Whaling Association (JWA) today called on the Australian and New Zealand governments to close their ports to a Dutch vessel committing criminal acts in the Antarctic.
The President of the JWA, Mr Keiichi Nakajima, said the Dutch vessel committing terror on the Antarctic high seas is running low on fuel and is apparently heading [...]

LAST night in The Southern Ocean, anti-whaling campaigners aboard The Steve Irwin rammed the Kaiko Maru from the starboard rear side.
According to the Japanese whalers:
The incident occurred when the Kaiko Maru was undertaking a detour in the ice pack area after completing the day’s research activities. The weather had deteriorated and fog had reduced visibility [...]

At least 150 whales have died in a mass stranding off Tasmania’s west coast, Australian authorities said on Sunday, despite the efforts of rescuers who managed to shepherd a small number back to the ocean. Read more here.

On Saturday I reported that 200 whales are trapped in ice in the Canadian Arctic. 
Today I received photographs of one of the groups of Narwhal trapped in one of the 11 open holes.  
The photographs were taken by Brian Koonoo.

LAST Sunday Inuit from Baffin Island, in the Canadian Arctic, discovered about 200 whales trapped in ice near Pond Inlet.  In the Arctic open water is starting to freeze-over with the onset of winter. 
Yesterday the Inuit started culling the whales, known as Narwhal, apparently on the advice of their elders and in the belief that otherwise the [...]

Greenpeace says it witnessed the main whaling ship the Nisshin Maru depart from a port near Hiroshima in Western Japan thought to be heading for the Southern Ocean. Read more here.

The Australian government is more virtuous and extreme on the issue of whaling than your average conservation group.  Read more here.

Tomorrow the residents of Barrow, Alaska, a town on the edge of the Arctic Ocean, will vote for a new mayor.    According to at least one report whoever wins will potentially impact the ability of the US to fast track its plans for energy independence through offshore oil drilling.
While both the current mayor, Edward Itta, and his [...]

From a commodity hunted for its bone and blubber to a potent symbol of the environment, the whale has long held value.  Read more at BBC News.

The International Whaling Commission (IWC) was established in 1948 at the initiative of the United States to establish a new world order in whaling.   Initially 15 governments were party to the IWC with Japan at the time under occupation and without the right to join.   
 
The Commission’s objectives included safeguarding the great natural resources represented by whale [...]