Airlines refuse to carry Norway's whale exports
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Airlines refuse to carry Norway's whale exports
Airlines refuse to carry Norway's whale exports
Greenpeace secures international blockade of blubber trade as Oslo prepares to resume hunting endangered species in defiance of ban
Paul Brown, environment correspondent Tuesday July 10, 2001 The Guardian
Source:
Some 21 airlines, including British Airways, have pledged not to transport blubber or meat from whales as Greenpeace attempts to stop Norway breaking a 15-year ban on exports.
Norway hunts whales for the meat, but has hundreds of freezers full of blubber that local people will not eat, and hopes to sell the blubber to Japan and clear space for killing more whales in the North Sea and off Norway.
All British airlines flying out of Oslo, the country's main airport, have joined the air blockade, although the Norwegian and some other Scandanavian airlines have refused.
The ban comes a fortnight before the International Whaling Commission meets in London, where Britain and the United States are expected to condemn Norway's plan. The convention allows whaling if a country consumes all the whale products and does not attempt to export, as in Norway's case, the blubber or fat.
Pressure to resume export whaling is increasing, with a number of small pro-whaling nations joining the commission following large aid receipts from Japan to build up fisheries. In Japan whale meat is a luxury.
The Norwegian government announced in January it would allow the export of minke whale products. This trade would be despite minke whales being listed in the convention on the international trade in endangered species, and hence their export being banned.
Greenpeace hopes the air blockade will make exporting difficult and focus world attention. It is writing to other airlines to try to widen the ban. Richard Page, a Greenpeace campaigner, said he was shocked by the extent to which Norway was prepared to go.
"History shows us that commercial whaling always leads to the devastation of whale populations. The resumption of an international trade in whale meat and blubber will only encourage pirate whaling and spell disaster for both abundant and endangered species of whales alike."
Today a report by WWF underlines Greenpeace's concerns. It says seven out of 13 species that have been protected from hunting for 15 years, and some far longer, remain endangered.
Collisions with ships, entanglement in fishing gear, intensive oil and gas development in feeding grounds, toxic pollution, and climate change, all threaten them, the report says.
Industrial chemicals and pesticides accumulate in blubber and are passed in milk to feed offspring, potentially poisoning them.
WWF is encouraging whale watching as a means of keeping species alive.
The following airlines have assured Greenpeace they will not carry whale products: Air Malta, Crossair Hauptsitz (Switzerland), Czech Airlines, British Airways, Deutsche Lufthansa (Germany), KLM (Dutch), Austrian Airlines, LOT (Poland), Swissair, Tyrolean Airways (Austrian), Air 2000 (Britain), Air Europa Lineas Aereas SA (Balearic islands), Britannia, Spanair, Sterling European (Denmark), Finnair, Iran Air, Air France, Sabena (Belgium), Maleu (Hungry), Onur Air (Turkey).
Greenpeace secures international blockade of blubber trade as Oslo prepares to resume hunting endangered species in defiance of ban
Paul Brown, environment correspondent Tuesday July 10, 2001 The Guardian
Source:
Some 21 airlines, including British Airways, have pledged not to transport blubber or meat from whales as Greenpeace attempts to stop Norway breaking a 15-year ban on exports.
Norway hunts whales for the meat, but has hundreds of freezers full of blubber that local people will not eat, and hopes to sell the blubber to Japan and clear space for killing more whales in the North Sea and off Norway.
All British airlines flying out of Oslo, the country's main airport, have joined the air blockade, although the Norwegian and some other Scandanavian airlines have refused.
The ban comes a fortnight before the International Whaling Commission meets in London, where Britain and the United States are expected to condemn Norway's plan. The convention allows whaling if a country consumes all the whale products and does not attempt to export, as in Norway's case, the blubber or fat.
Pressure to resume export whaling is increasing, with a number of small pro-whaling nations joining the commission following large aid receipts from Japan to build up fisheries. In Japan whale meat is a luxury.
The Norwegian government announced in January it would allow the export of minke whale products. This trade would be despite minke whales being listed in the convention on the international trade in endangered species, and hence their export being banned.
Greenpeace hopes the air blockade will make exporting difficult and focus world attention. It is writing to other airlines to try to widen the ban. Richard Page, a Greenpeace campaigner, said he was shocked by the extent to which Norway was prepared to go.
"History shows us that commercial whaling always leads to the devastation of whale populations. The resumption of an international trade in whale meat and blubber will only encourage pirate whaling and spell disaster for both abundant and endangered species of whales alike."
Today a report by WWF underlines Greenpeace's concerns. It says seven out of 13 species that have been protected from hunting for 15 years, and some far longer, remain endangered.
Collisions with ships, entanglement in fishing gear, intensive oil and gas development in feeding grounds, toxic pollution, and climate change, all threaten them, the report says.
Industrial chemicals and pesticides accumulate in blubber and are passed in milk to feed offspring, potentially poisoning them.
WWF is encouraging whale watching as a means of keeping species alive.
The following airlines have assured Greenpeace they will not carry whale products: Air Malta, Crossair Hauptsitz (Switzerland), Czech Airlines, British Airways, Deutsche Lufthansa (Germany), KLM (Dutch), Austrian Airlines, LOT (Poland), Swissair, Tyrolean Airways (Austrian), Air 2000 (Britain), Air Europa Lineas Aereas SA (Balearic islands), Britannia, Spanair, Sterling European (Denmark), Finnair, Iran Air, Air France, Sabena (Belgium), Maleu (Hungry), Onur Air (Turkey).
SkyGod
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Hmm, nobody cared that I flew nuclear fuel into India 13 years ago when they tried to make a bomb. Now blubber is a big deal?
Since the blubber is frozen anyway, why not load it on a ship with deep freeze containers
and send it of to Japan?
Would think whale blubber be to heavy to carry by air with any kind of profit margin.
(Unless whale blubber have reached Salmon and lobster prices?)
Since the blubber is frozen anyway, why not load it on a ship with deep freeze containers
and send it of to Japan?
Would think whale blubber be to heavy to carry by air with any kind of profit margin.
(Unless whale blubber have reached Salmon and lobster prices?)
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It won't make one iota of difference Unfortunately their will always be an airline somewhere, and and airport willing to accept this sort of trade.
Remember the live calf exports a few years ago?
Delay? What delay?
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As usual the treehuggers get all upset about whaling. The airlines are only going along with this because it doesn't cost them too much in terms of cargo revenue. It would be a different story if all fish (and I know whales are mammals) transportation were at issue. They would nt be so quick to show how "caring and touchy feely" they are then!
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Towerdog,
you are right. As a shipping nation they will most certainly be able to find a freighter.
turboturd,
what has the norwegian ability, or lack of ability, to run an airline to do with whales. If you want to argue against whaling, you have to find a different road to travel. By the way, they did not do that bad in Braathens for 54 years.
you are right. As a shipping nation they will most certainly be able to find a freighter.
turboturd,
what has the norwegian ability, or lack of ability, to run an airline to do with whales. If you want to argue against whaling, you have to find a different road to travel. By the way, they did not do that bad in Braathens for 54 years.
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Personally I congratulate the anti-whaling lot. Can you imagine the outcry if cows (pregnant at that) were killed by harpooning and dragging around a field until dead?
The whole practice is barbaric.
[ 11 July 2001: Message edited by: Iron Hen ]
The whole practice is barbaric.
[ 11 July 2001: Message edited by: Iron Hen ]
SkyGod
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TurboTurd:
Are you one of them Swedes that are still sulking because Norway did not share the North Sea oil with Sweden?
Or did a Norwegain stud screw you girl friend?
Are you one of them Swedes that are still sulking because Norway did not share the North Sea oil with Sweden?
Or did a Norwegain stud screw you girl friend?
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Whilst I don't consider myself in any way a tree-hugger I congratulate the airlines involved for making a stand, although I suspect it won't make too much difference to the Norwegians who, as Spoonbill says will find someone willing to carry it.
One of the main reasons these animals need protecting is the speed of their reproductive cycle, capable of producing only one calf every couple of years, which in turn takes several years to reach maturity.
Therefore it takes the population many years to recover from the loss of a small number of animals.
If certain countries are allowed to keep breaking the rules set up for the protection of whales and other species, the international community (that's all of our governments) will have to take it's share of responsibility for letting them get away with it.
I'm with Greenpeace on this one.
One of the main reasons these animals need protecting is the speed of their reproductive cycle, capable of producing only one calf every couple of years, which in turn takes several years to reach maturity.
Therefore it takes the population many years to recover from the loss of a small number of animals.
If certain countries are allowed to keep breaking the rules set up for the protection of whales and other species, the international community (that's all of our governments) will have to take it's share of responsibility for letting them get away with it.
I'm with Greenpeace on this one.
