 |
|
|
 Editorials | Environmental | April 2006 
Whales Surface Across US in New Protection Campaign
 IFAW - Medialink
The whales are gone from Banderas Bay, but whether or not you live close to water, plan on seeing quite a few whales breaching near you in the coming weeks. A new campaign to help protect endangered whales was launched just in time for Earth Day.
Most Americans are unaware that thousands of whales are being killed each year and that renewed commercial whaling is a growing problem. Despite the twenty-year-old international ban on commercial whaling, the industry is growing dramatically and poses a major threat to whale populations.
In April of 2006, a Japanese whaling fleet returned with twice as many whales than in years past (863 whales this year versus 440 killed in past years). These numbers significantly detract from a species already under stress from marine pollution, habitat loss, entanglements with fishing gear, ocean noise and global climate change.
The new campaign, led by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), aims to alert Americans to dramatically increased whaling by Japan and calls for U.S. government action in advance of the upcoming meeting of the International Whaling Commission to be held in the Caribbean Island of St. Kitts this June. Elements of the national campaign include:
• A national television advertising campaign airing in 9 major markets.
• Billboards in NYC (Times Square), LA (Sunset Blvd.), and the Washington, D.C. Metro system designed to promote the campaign web site and reinforce a sense of urgency around the whaling issue and the coming IWC meeting.
• An email outreach initiative that will enlist activists urging the Bush administration to take action against Japanese whaling.
• Bipartisan Congressional efforts to strengthen U.S. opposition to commercial whaling.
• Port visits by IFAW's sailing research vessel, the Song of the Whale, in Miami, Charleston, and New York City.
To learn more about threats to whales and how you can help, go to www.stopwhaling.org. |
| |
|
Vallarta Weddings
Tell a Friend
Site Map
Print this Page
Email Us