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Media That Inspires, Take Part 7/15/10

10/29/2010

"Media That Inspires" is an ongoing conversation at TakePart that recognizes the power that films, books, and other media have to compel change and prompt action. TakePart is asking people who make a difference every day about the works that have inspired them.

Q: Which film or book was a wake-up call and made you truly aware of an issue?

DB: I am a firm believer that all of the creative arts and media that children are exposed to during childhood can plant seeds of inspiration and ultimately have an impact on one's path. The film that made a lasting impression on me during those pivotal years was Gorillas in the Mist, the real-life story of Dr. Dian Fossey and her struggle to save the last endangered mountain gorillas of Rwanda's Virunga National Park from extinction due to illegal poaching, which ultimately resulted in her tragic murder.

While some may consider the content a bit heavy for an 11-year-old, it not only opened my eyes to how intelligent and gentle these fellow inhabitants of the Earth are, it also told the story of a passionate woman who was courageous enough to stand up for her innocent and powerless friends.

The film also introduced me to the concept of human-caused extinction, and to be honest, I am as uncomfortable with that notion today as I was 20 years ago! This film is a wonderful tribute to Dr. Fossey's mission, and I would certainly encourage activists of all ages to see it or read the book Woman in the Mists: The Story of Dian Fossey and the Mountain Gorillas of Africa, written by the great Canadian environmentalist Farley Mowat.

Q: Which film or book inspired you to take action and get involved in an issue?

DB: Shannon Keith's latest film, Skin Trade, really lifted the veil for me on how much suffering still exists today for something so unnecessary and narcissistic as fur! As a long-time campaigner against the Canadian seal hunt and a vegetarian for over 20 years, I was quite shocked about how little I knew about the barbaric industry as a whole, and what other animals still fall victim to its brutality.

Although the subject matter and imagery is difficult to stomach at times, through undercover investigation by Keith and other dedicated activists, the film diligently illustrates how misleading this industry is to the consumer public. The very next day I found myself on the phone with the president of the Fur Council of Canada engaged in a debate over the government-sponsored "Fur is Green" campaign which is also brought to attention in the film.

Joe Berlinger's Crude is also a must-see documentary that investigates the toxic legacy left by Chevron in the heart of the Ecuadorian rainforest. Given the recent disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, now, more than ever, everyone should make it a point to see this film that exposes the devastation that indigenous groups in the Amazon have been dealing with for over 30 years due to blatant oil contamination caused by corporate negligence.

Q: Is there a book or film out right now that particularly inspires you?

DB: This year's Oscar-winning documentary film The Cove. Brilliantly directed by Louie Psihoyos, the film covers the complex issues of the annual dolphin slaughters that take place each year in the coastal waters of Japan. I feel a very intimate connection to this particular documentary as I participated in the 2007 surfing paddle-out ceremony in the notorious "killing cove" of Taiji in order to oppose the brutal killings—a scene that would later become part of the film.

During this time, I met former Flipper trainer turned dolphin warrior, Ric O'Barry, and the OPS crew who were covertly on location filming and acquiring the footage that would ultimately lead to the exposure of this town's bloody secret and also reveal the serious dangers surrounding mercury poisoning.

Q: What is your favorite escape and guilty pleasure?

DB: Favorite escape: Without wishing to come off as overly "new age," I find the best escape is nothing more than becoming completely present in the moment, and nothing gets me into that zone better than a good surf session. When I am in the ocean, all thoughts seem to melt away and I am left contently connected with my immediate surroundings. It's even better when whales, dolphins and sea turtles present themselves. That is when I feel my ultimate bliss!

Of course, a deep yoga session is also a direct way for me to access that place of pure inner peace. Intimate connection with one's own breath is perhaps the most powerful tool that humans have and yet many people pass their entire lives without ever experiencing it. Lately I've been experimenting with "Tibetan Bowl" meditations here in Bali and that takes it to the next level! I would highly encourage everyone try it at least once in their lives.

Guilty Pleasure: American Idol and my love for really bad '80s music, the more obscure the better.

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The Cove Opens in Tokyo with Clash from Protestors (Huffington Post 7/6/2010)

10/23/2010

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While ocean conservationists may be breathing a bit easier since last month's decision by the International Whaling Commission (IWC) to uphold the 24-year-old ban on commercial whaling in Agadir, Morocco, another monumental "win" for the cetacean family came this past weekend in movie theaters throughout Tokyo. After several months of delays and protests by radical nationalist groups, the long-awaited release of the Oscar award winning film, The Cove, premiered in six sold out cinemas across the Japanese capital on Saturday. Another 18 theaters are set to begin screening the controversial film that exposes the slaughters that claim the lives of over 20,000 dolphins and porpoises off the coastal waters of Japan each year.

The film, directed by Oceanic Preservation Society (OPS) founder, Louis Psihoyos tells the gripping story of former Flipper trainer turned Dolphin Warrior, Ric O'Barry's relentless 30-year personal mission to shut down the notorious killing cove forever. Resembling more of a special operations task force than a documentary film team, the OPS crew risked certain arrest and personal danger throughout their covert missions to acquire the footage necessary to reveal the truth behind what O'Barry refers to in the opening scene as "a small town with a big secret."

Psihoyos took the time to explain to me the significance of the film's screening within Japan via e-mail from Polynesia where he and his team are already engaged in their next ocean conservation related film project. He writes:

"Two years ago people said The Cove would never be seen in Japan. Now, it is selling out theaters there and nearly everyone there seems to know about the film. I'm hopeful that once people in Japan see the movie they will understand that it is not just a movie about saving dolphins but also humans, because all dolphin meat is toxic from what we humans are dumping into the oceans."

While the film continues to come under attack from critics within Japan as being a one sided account of the issue as seen through the lens of western bias, Psihoyos is quick to also point out, "This is not just a Japanese problem but a worldwide problem. The bigger issue is that we humans are poisoning the oceans not only for the wild, but for ourselves and future generations."

The film, which covers in depth the topic of mercury contamination, was instrumental in influencing the removal of dolphin meat from the government sanctioned school lunch program that was serving up the toxic cetaceans to Japanese youth. Ric O'Barry also spoke candidly to me this week via Skype and e-mail, stating that:

"My hope is to get The Cove in front of the 126 million people who have not seen the movie and thus have no clue what is going on. Getting the movie shown inside Japan will move some of the viewers into action. At least the consumers of dolphin meat will stop buying the mercury tainted product."

Three theaters canceled planned screenings last month after several protests and an aggressive telephone campaign was launched against them by groups claiming that the film is anti-Japanese and does not tell the whole story. The Directors Guild of Japan urged theaters not to stop showing the film and in a recent statement to the Associated Press explained, "Such moves would limit opportunities to express thoughts and beliefs, which are the core of democracy."

After numerous demonstrations at their offices, the movie's Japanese distributor, Unplugged Inc., and Medallion, obtained court orders to keep the angry protesters, including several fisherman, at bay; no pun intended.

A grateful Psihoyos commented, "It took very brave distributors in Japan who dared to show the film despite protest from some very violent right wing demonstrators. Riot police were called in several times to protect the distributors, their families and theater venues. When a few theaters withdrew showing the film in Japan it set off a huge discussion about free speech."

O'Barry, who recently returned from Japan, where he conducted more than 60 interviews for major news outlets, reiterated that, "the last press conference was attended by more than 100 journalists. The right wing militant protesters efforts have back-fired on them. It's now become a huge issue about freedom of speech and freedom of expression."

While fisherman and supporters of the annual hunts are quick to play the "cultural tradition" card to defend their stance, the majority of Japanese do not consume dolphin meat, nor are they even aware that these hidden killings in small coastal towns such as Taiji occur in the first place, due to a widespread media block out of the hunts, as revealed in the film. To that end, Psihoyos added, "The press in Japan tries to condemn us for not caring about the tradition of the dolphin hunters. I respond that I care much more about the health of their neighbors' children that they are poisoning than how a few people make their living."

The IWC, the only regulatory body for whaling in the world, has come under fire in the press recently by several ocean conservationists for its lack of enforcement by turning a blind eye to Japan's continue hunting in the southern oceans under the blatantly false guise of scientific research. Furthermore, the IWC fails to even recognize smaller cetaceans under the moratorium on commercial whaling as Japan and a handful of other nations refuse to accept the IWC jurisdiction over small cetaceans such as dolphins and porpoises.

"Everyone at the IWC is talking about 1,000 whales in the Southern Ocean, but what is taking place in Japan is also whaling, yet nobody at the IWC is talking about it," noted O'Barry. "The IWC will go down in history as a ship of fools who failed to do their duty,"added the veteran activist who has been banned from attending the annual meeting after storming the 2006 delegate session with a television screen attached to his chest projecting the bloody, so called new and improved "humane" killing techniques, as depicted in one of the final momentous scenes of the film.

While Psihoyos concurred that, "The IWC should take responsibility for not just commercially hunted large cetaceans but all of them because they are the only body in the world that can," he took it one step further by suggesting, "It's not just commercial hunting that is wiping out cetaceans now -- it's also noise pollution, habitat destruction, residual bycatch and acidification that are jeopardizing all species. There is a five alarm disaster going on for all ocean life, from plankton to Blue whales and while a few greedy countries are trying to divvy up the spoils of the last commercial species we are destroying the whole ocean environment for them and us forever. We pride ourselves on being a large brained species apart from the other animals but yet we do what no wild animal will do -- we foul our own nest."

While the abolishment of dolphin slaughters may not happen overnight, this is certainly not the last that we have seen or heard from Psihoyos, who was recently quoted telling a crowd that he was "not just filming a movie, but rather starting a movement." With a hint of humble satisfaction, he shared that:

"The biggest benefit of The Cove may be that it opened up the doors for other points of view that could not be heard up until now. In that way, the film is already a great success. Of course, I would love to see The Cove shut down as well, but that cannot be done by us or a film, it must be done by the Japanese people."

Just as he has done for over three decades, one can also be certain to find real deal eco-warrior, Ric O'Barry, in close vicinity to the place that he is determined to see shut down in his lifetime come early September. Only this year he is adding a twist to his annual visit, "We are hoping that hundreds of concerned citizens will show up in Taiji on September 1, which is opening day of the annual dolphin slaughter in Taiji.

For more info on the film and to view the trailor, please visit: thecovemovie.com.

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Eco-Divas Interview, 06/28/10

10/18/2010

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T: How did you get into being “eco”?

D: Growing up in New England with a Dad who was a bit of a cross between Henry David Thoreau and Jack Kerouac definitely fostered a strong relationship with nature and travel from very early on in life! While most families were vacationing at touristy theme parks, we would head “off the beaten track” on camping and hiking trips to simply enjoy the great outdoors and the local wildlife. When I was about 9 years old, we visited the Yunque Rainforest in Puerto Rico and being exposed to so many different types of exotic plants and animals and all the vibrant sights, smells and sounds further sparked my interest in the natural world. That trip has had a lasting impact as I have been actively involved with the protection of endangered species and habitats ever since and have worked with some amazing organizations who are carrying out critical work to protect and defend some of the last wild places left on Earth including: Amazon Watch, The Rainforest Action Network, Rainforest2Reef, The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society and Conservation International. Ultimately respect and appreciation for nature is essentially what I think being “eco” is all about- reverence for the balance and harmony of the Earth’s natural systems and rhythms and I am grateful for the experiences that I had during those formative years and for the examples that my parents set for my sisters and I.

T: What advice do you give people who want to become more active in protecting the planet?

D: Well, I became a vegetarian when I was twelve after stumbling across some PETA literature which was a pivotal turning point in my own “eco-activist” journey. At that time it was really an ethical decision based on the premise of animal rights, but given current research by the UN indicating that the factory farming industry omits more greenhouse gases than all SUVs, cars, trucks, planes, and ships in the world combined, these days it is clearly an environmental one as well. Whenever people ask me what they can do to become a “greener” citizen, I tell them that a good place to start is by accessing what is on their dinner plate and also how far it travelled to get there- I’m an avid “buy local and organic” kind of gal and it just blows my mind that the average meal travels close to 2,000 miles in the United States! I find it completely unacceptable and unnecessary as well, especially for those of us lucky enough to live in such an abundant Mecca as California!

T: What do you do in your daily life?

D: Funny you should ask! The most common question I get is, “Ok, where in the world are you this week?” I guess I have become so accustomed to traveling as part of the freelance lifestyle that it is second nature to me at this point, so daily routine is often times non-existant. I basically go with the flow as every day depends on the scope, nature and time frame of the project I am working on. For example, one year I went from protesting and documenting the dolphin slaughters in Taiji, Japan to volunteering at an orphanage outside of Machu Pichu to filming jaguars in Mexico’s Selva Maya rainforest all in a span of just a few months. As a matter of fact I started answering this interview in Cannes, France while writing a piece on the Bluefin tuna crisis and I am now finishing it in Indonesia where I have been researching and writing about a local sea turtle sanctuary. It can be a whirlwind sometimes and not always as glamorous people may think. Little things like lack of electricity and food poisoning can be a real bummer, but it does add authenticity to the experience! I am really looking forward to settling down a bit back in California and getting back into the flow of a daily routine and look forward to planting my first garden and maybe rescuing a dog from one of the high kill LA shelters. That is not to say that there is a 9-5 schedule anywhere in the near future- I’m just not the office type although I’ve been known to fake it from time to time.

T: What type of people do you work with on your projects?

D: I’ve been very fortunate to work directly with so many amazing and passionate individuals who care deeply about the health and survival of the planet. While working alongside environmental icons and personal heros like Captain Paul Watson and Ric O’barry is certainly gratifying, I find it equally rewarding and humbling to work with indigenous groups like the Achuar peoples of Peru (Amazon Watch) and the Dine people of Arizona (Save the Peaks Coalition) for whom I also have a tremendous amount of respect and intrigue. This past week I met with a guy here in Indonesia who, without pay or recognition, is single handedly responsible day in and day out for the protection and preservation of the critically threatened species of Loggerhead turtles on his small, impoverished island. It’s unsung heroes like this that inspire me the most to keep using my voice to share the stories that may otherwise not find a venue to be told. For that reason I have started blogging recently for Take Part.com and The Huffington Post. (Not to mention the need to ween myself off of Facebook a bit!) Social media networking sites have certainly revolutionized the entire journalism field, for better or worse.

I am also currently working on a project called “Sea Voices” that highlights the work and achievements of several key individuals that are focused on giving voice to the world’s Oceans. I am honored to work with all the men and women involved with this particular endeavor including one of my all time heroines, Dr. Jane Goodall and other favorite eco gal pals like: Daryl Hannah, Isabel Lucas, Q’orianka Kilcher, Atossa Soltani and Shannon Mann. I’ve had the pleasure of working with all of these epic women firsthand on past endeavors and I’m really thrilled to be able showcase their efforts and achievements in one compilation. Please be sure to keep your eye out for these eco-divas and the coffee table book coming out later this summer!

T: What funny stories can you tell from behind the scenes?

D: Probably too many to count and probably some that are best kept to myself! Well, let’s just say that if Discovery network is looking for fresh content, the may wish to focus on the daily dramas that occur behind the scenes at their local non-profit organizations. When I first got into this realm several years ago I sort of envisioned everyone sitting around singing kumbaya and hugging trees on lunch break with my co-workers. Wow, that veil was lifted pretty quickly! There seems to be this eco-warrior vs. ego-warrior happening in today’s environmental movement and I have found that laughter and a light heart is usually the best remedy, because the work at hand is too important to let other people’s “stuff” get in the way. It’s no surprise I took up a serious yoga practice around the same time I got into the non-profit world and if I ran my own organization there would certainly be some staff yoga retreats and sweat lodges happening on a regular basis!

T: When did your interests in environmentalism turn to activism?

D: Well, the two are pretty much synonymous. Activism in my opinion does not always have to be putting oneself in the line of danger but rather taking a stand on an issue and staying true to one’s own convictions for the duration. If you can harness support or inspire others to take action, however grand or small, then change begins to occur. As my dear friend and activist musician Michael Franti once said to me, “If you wish to affect positive change, first you have to get those you are trying to influence to fall in love with you; No one likes being told they are wrong.” I’ve taken those words to heart, although of course I think that there is a time and place when more radical direct action approach is needed- every person has their line in the sand. For me, that moment came when I learned of the annual dolphin slaughters that claim 25,000 innocent lives every year. A group of international surfers and I paddled into the notorious killing cove as a symbolic gesture of what one of the original Eco-divas, Dr. Margaret Mead eluded to in her famous, “Never doubt that a small group of concerned citizens can change the world. Indeed it’s the only thing that ever has.” With the recent success of the Oscar award winning film, The Cove, and the growing numbers of supporters around the world, we are heading in the right direction for shutting this horrific operation down forever. This to me is a true example of activism. It’s about not compromising your own truth and staying the course at any cost. We’ll be back in Taiji this September to do just that.

Bio:

A strong passion for environmental activism with a focus upon Ocean and Rainforest conservation, Deborah has worked directly through the years with such organizations as The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, Amazon Watch, Rainforest2Reef, Global Green USA, The Clinton Global Initiative and The Rainforest Action Network. Through photojournalism, documentary film and social networking, Deborah is dedicated to raising awareness and funding for critical social and environmental related projects. Her work has been featured in Surfer Magazine, FreeSurf, NEED, Yoga Journal, YogiTimes, Peace Magazine, The Progressive, Patagonia’s Wild and Scenic Film Festival and throughout numerous website blogs and on-line publications. A graduate of The Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Concordia University in Montreal, Canada, Deborah is fluent in French and Spanish and currently works as a consultant for various environmental organizations and projects around the world.

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The Whales Of The World Deserve More. (Take Part 6/24/10)

10/8/2010

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As the International Whaling Commission (IWC) wraps up its 62nd annual meeting this week in Agadir, Morocco, I am relieved that the 24-year-old ban on commercial whaling will remain intact and that Australia's Environmental Protection Minister, Peter Garrett, finally appears to be stepping up to the plate to support the great leviathans of the deep.

However, I am still disenchanted that this year's pseudo "win" for the whales comes as nothing more than a defense strategy perhaps best left for World Cup soccer; our giant friends of the sea deserve more. Unfortunately, once again no real progress in the actual protection of the mighty mammals has taken place. Thus rogue whaling nations like Norway, Iceland and Japan will continue to get away with their annual killing sprees, and per usual, the fate of the cetacean nation lies in the hands of the direct action organizations courageous enough to try to stop these pirate poachers in their tracks. The fact is that there is no real regulatory governing body for the world's whales—it's a bloody free-for-all out there.

Veteran crew member and European Coordinator of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, Laurens de Groot, was on the ground in Agadir this week to send a clear message that, "Sea Shepherd rejects the IWC as the body responsible for the conservation of the world's whales."

Also at the forefront of conservationists' concern was the very real possibility of a trade off deal that would have sanctioned the reinstatement of commercial whaling in exchange for the phasing out of whaling under the false guise of scientific research in the Southern Ocean whale sanctuary.

"Allowing commercial whaling in order to get rid of the scientific loophole would be a death-blow for the whales. This would open up a new market for whale products and would be just a matter of time before other countries decided to start making money off of whales. Furthermore, since certain whale populations are still on the brink of extinction and others are at a fraction of what they once were, it is unacceptable whatsover to allow any whaling," added de Groot.

I decided to pass on attending this year's meeting; I could not stomach coming within 50 yards of people who consider exploding missile tipped harpoons into the back of fleeing mothers and calves just another honest day's work. Secondly, Agadir is a bit off the beaten track for the average North American whale-loving citizen. (Hmm, am I beginning to see a pattern here?) I also opted out of this year's bureaucratic jamboree because I experienced firsthand how ineffectual the entire process proved to be at last year's stalemate of a meeting on the small island of Madeira, Portugal.

I was not allowed into the official delegate sessions last year as my partner-in-crime at the time, Captain Paul Watson, has been banned from attending the annual meeting since he came under international scrutiny for putting half of the Icelandic whaling fleet out of commission by scuttling two of the four cetacean death rigs in Rekyavik Harbor back in 1986.

While no one was injured by the eco-vigilant acts, and Watson has never been convicted of a crime, that particular course of action seemed to ruffle a few feathers. In fact, our very entrance into the country was threatened as authorities quickly pulled up an outstanding arrest warrant dating back to the late seventies when another pirate whaling vessel, The Sierra, was sunk in Portuguese waters. Ah yes, the Good Captain has a long-standing history of putting pirates of greed and corruption out of business for good and has a far more impressive record than any other in that regard.

After several hours of detainment, we were released from custody as the 30-year warrant had luckily expired just a few months prior to our arrival. Upon signing a few autographs and snapping a few pictures with the local immigration authorities—apparently Whale Wars is a huge hit in Portugal—we were free to proceed to the hotel where the annual meeting was being held, if for nothing but to make our presence and anti-whaling stance known.

I must admit it was mildly entertaining to see the looks of panic on the faces of the Japanese and Nordic delegates as they passed Captain Watson and the modest stronghold of Sea Shepherd's crew and supporters in the main lobby—those who could make it past the tight security, that is. Apparently wearing a Sea Shepherd shirt moved you up the ranks to public enemy #1, as anyone sporting a jolly roger logo was promptly escorted off the premises.

We had outsmarted the meddlesome concierge as we had booked our hotel rooms over a year in advance and, well, you can't really tell a paying customer to go up to his room and change clothes for no legitimate reason. Yes, we must have appeared as ferocious eco-terrorists in our black organic cotton tee shirts adorned with skull and crossbones, sipping on our vegan lattes and efficiently working away on our Macbooks. All the while, cold blooded killers walked freely about socializing and exchanging niceties with delegates whose Mediterranean vacations were highly likely paid for by the Japanese government.

Japan has long been buying the votes of third world nations to back its sinister policies—everything from paid trips to the IWC, to luxury beachfront accommodations to prostitutes for delegates. Having traveled extensively up and down the Mekong, I always wondered what business or interest a landlocked country like Laos had voting on the world's whale quotas! In response to the recently exposed voting scandal, Laurens de Groot added, "With Japan being allowed to bribe its way through the IWC, there is no way the anti-whaling countries can ever win in favor of the whales. Even the hotel bill of the Vice Chairman is paid for by the Japanese government!"

Of course we did have some good fun at last year's meeting, poking fun at Japan's "scientific research" program by harpooning delegates with our spongey version of the explosive death devices. Ironically that did not sit so well with many delegates, and we were rather confused. I mean, we were only trying to simulate the act of extracting tissue samples in order to conduct in-depth research analysis on what they had eaten for lunch that day. We even got a direct hit on Peter Garrett himself, who did not seem at all amused by our antics. Apparently the former rock star turned Australian Environmental Minister's bed has been burning hotter than normal lately as he has recently crossed over from the dark side by opposing the repeal of the moratorium at this year's meeting. I am still, however, keeping my fingers crossed on that one.

I sincerely look forward to the day that the IWC pulls into a former whaling town like Byron Bay, Australia, where whales and the very sanctity of life that they represent are now respected, if not celebrated, by their evolution into the eco-tourism industry. The whales of the world deserve more than what they are currently being offered and the majority of Japanese citizens who do not support whaling also deserve the chance to restore dignity to their country's jaded reputation in the global community.

For now, I take comfort in knowing that if the Japanese government intends to continue its annual illegal bloodbath in the Southern Ocean, for which it makes absolutely no apology, it will find itself among the finest of company. And if Peter Garrett really feels that the "time has come to say fair's fair," then he should put his money where his mouth is by sending the Australian Navy to patrol the Southern Hemisphere whale sanctuary this coming commercial hunting season. What do you say, Pete?

About Deborah Bassett: Deborah is an L.A. based nonprofit consultant, environmental activist and freelance photo-journalist whose focus is to raise awareness about critically endangered species and habitats. She has worked both in the field and behind the scenes with such organizations as The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, Amazon Watch, Rainforest2Reef, Conservation International, Surfers For Cetaceans, Global Green USA, and sits on the Board of Advisors of the Blue Seals Marine Conservation group. She is currently a contributing editor at Sea Voices, a project highlighting individuals and organizations around the world that are working toward solutions for the most critical issues facing the ocean today.

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A Win For The Whales in Morocco? Huffington Post 5/25/10

10/8/2010

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The fate of nature's largest marine mammals has been the topic of closed door discussions this past week at the annual meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) in Agadir, Morocco. Negotiations could have potentially seen the reinstatement of commercial whaling for the first time since the international moratorium was put into effect in 1986. On Wednesday the commission failed to seal the deal, which may appear at first glance as good news for the whales, but still leaves their immediate future in the corrupt hands of rogue whaling nations such as Iceland, Norway and Japan who have continued to illegally hunt tens of thousands of whales since the supposed "ban" was initially introduced three decades ago.

Created after World War II to conserve and manage international whale stocks, The IWC is made up of delegates from 88 both pro and anti-whaling nations, some of whom have no legitimate business in being at the bargaining table in the first place. According to former UN scientist and veteran IWC attendee Dr. Sidney Holt, the officially titled, "Proposed Consensus Decision to Improve the Conservation of Whales," is really "a proposal for the destruction of the International Whaling Commission as a serious inter-governmental body for both the conservation of whales and managing future human uses of them, using relevant and competent scientific and legal advice."

In a speech given to delegates earlier this week, Australian Environment Minister Peter Garrett deemed the potential lifting of the 24-year-old moratorium as an impossibility. Garrett, who has come under fire from several key conservationists over the years for his softened stance on whaling issues, appears to finally be stepping up to the plate on behalf of the gentle giants of the sea. Australia not only led the way in opposition of the eventually rejected "peace plan" but they have also recently brought about a lawsuit against Japan at the International Court of Justice in the Netherlands to end the annual hunt in the Antarctic waters that are major feeding grounds for nearly four-fifths of the world's whales.

One of the major components comprising the moot deal would have been the allotment of a certain quota of whales to be legally hunted off the coastal waters of Japan and other pro-whaling nations in exchange for a significant reduction in the number of whales killed in Japan's annual bloodbath in the southern oceans. Hidden under the false guise of "scientific research," Japan's whaling program in the southern hemisphere sanctuary has long made a mockery of basic human intelligence as anyone with an IQ above room temperature can clearly decipher the difference between research and profit. With initiatives set forth by Japan's Institute of Cetacean Research with bogus names like "krill abundance and the feeding ecology of whales," one must wonder about the groundbreaking findings of such in depth analysis. However, the reality is that in over two-and-a-half decades of mass slaughter of these magnificent beings, not a single study has been conducted that has produced any significant conclusions. In short, the Japanese have been allowed to brutally murder 1,000 whales per year in Antarctica in order to inform the global community of their big breakthrough in scientific research: whales eat plankton, lots and lots of plankton. Look out Einstein, we seem to have some real braniacs on our hands here!

Some conservationists argue that the entire "trade off" proposal has been a blow to any real progress of The IWC and criticize certain non-profits for their consideration of the compromise deal as it further undermines the ultimate goal of abolishment of ALL whaling in the world's oceans. Noted Ramon Cardona, founder of Ocean Sentry, who was on the ground this week patiently awaiting the small time slot allowed for the NGO conglamerate's participation in open discussion meetings, "It is absolutely unacceptable that non-profit organizations such as Greenpeace, WWF and PEW, are in favor of the return to commercial whaling in the northern hemisphere in order to phase out whaling in the southern sanctuary. Not only does this go directly against the moratorium on commercial whaling, but it is even more disgraceful coming from supposed environmental organizations who are avidly collecting funds to defend whales."

To add further controversy to this year's meeting, Japan has recently been implicated in a vote-buying scandal in the weeks leading up to the IWC. Whether or not this revelation has influenced the suspension of 17 of the meeting's 88 member nation's right to vote by deputy chairman Anthony Liverpool, a diplomat from Antigua and Barbuda, is still under suspicion by critics. According to the London Sunday Times, Liverpool also appears to be living large at a luxury beach resort courtesy of the government of Japan to which he was quoted by the Associated Press as stating there was, "nothing odd about that." Other reports of bribery have come in the form of overseas aid, cash payments in envelopes and the offer of prostitutes to delegates. The countries banned from voting this year included Palau, the Marshall Islands, Ghana and Gambia and comprised mainly pro-whaling nations which had been expected to back Japan's proposal.

While the issue of fraudulent votes was publicly exposed in the recent Academy Award-winning film The Cove, the film has also put Japan in the hot seat for its horrific annual slaughter of tens of thousands of dolphins and pilot whales in Japanese coastal waters, who are not accounted for or regulated under IWC mandate due to their smaller size. With growing momentum from the film's overwhelming success and the recent worldwide media attention brought about by Sea Shepherd's latest high stakes campaign in the southern ocean, Japan is certainly feeling the pressure from the global community to put an end to its barbaric whaling practices. Of course one can not expect overnight miracles from a country whose former lead whaling negotiator, Masayuki Komatsu, once referred to the cetacean nation as the "cockroaches of the sea." However, one can always continue to have hope.

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Media That Inspires, Take Part 7/15/10

The Cove Opens in Tokyo with Clash from Protestors (Huffington Post 7/6/2010)

Eco-Divas Interview, 06/28/10

The Whales Of The World Deserve More. (Take Part 6/24/10)

A Win For The Whales in Morocco? Huffington Post 5/25/10

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