Worldwide Anti-Whaling Day demonstration in Auckland

Anti-whaling activists are gathering on November 5th to protest the beginning of the Japanese whaling season.

Body-painted protesters will carry a giant inflatable whale and have whale song playing as they march up Queen Street next Friday.

The initial Facebook group that was started by Jim Farry in Philadelphia, USA, has grown into a worldwide demonstration movement to raise awareness about the issues involved with whaling.

Auckland event organizers Amy Taylor and Mike Smith say they hope that one of the realizations for whaling nations will be that whales are worth more alive than dead.

“Japanese whalers are targeting endangered Humpback whales and affecting countries like Tonga where each whale creates over US$1 million in it’s lifetime", explains Amy, a marine biologist and documentary filmmaker who recently spent time in Tonga filming Humpback whales.

Amy is also producing a documentary about Moko the dolphin for TV3, and says her experiences with whales and dolphins have shown her that they are “highly intelligent, playful, and self-aware beings”.

Her partner Mike was a crew member onboard the anti-whaling vessel Ady Gil when it was rammed at sea by a Japanese whaling ship in Antarctic waters in January this year.

“There is no need to be killing whales anywhere in the world, especially in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary – scientific research and tradition are just excuses.”

“It can take up to 45 minutes for a whale to die, and the inhumane slaughter is only for the sake of pride and greed”, he says.

“There is also the serious issue of mercury poisoning for people who consume products from whales and dolphins.”

Starting at the Maritime Museum on Quay Street at 2pm, the protesters will be marching up Queen Street and then to the Japanese Consulate office at the ASB Bank Centre on Albert Street.

Auckland Anti-Whaling Day Facebook event page:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=166839546660087&ref=ts

World Wide Anti-Whaling Day website:

New Zealand Anti Whaling day website:
www.antiwhalingday.org/about" target="_blank">www.antiwhalingday.org/about

ENDS

© Scoop Media