Dominica-who's been there and whadaya think...
- Thread starter opalobsidian
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OP
opalobsidian
Contributor
Hi Tel!
It's alright, it's good you brought everyone's attention to this fact. I'm glad you clarified by stating the Dominicans themselves don't actively whale, but would like you to further expound on what their involvement is.
Will they their resident whales to be hunted?
And what does the average Dominican have to gain by giving the nod to Japan's whaling industry? Is this a case of a corrupt government profitting from selling it's vote with no trickle down to the general population, like you see in so many countries?
Thanks for the info
Pamela
OP
opalobsidian
Contributor
other islands to add to your list....
Palau
Samoa
the Solomon Islands
the Marshall Islands
St. Kitts and Nevis
Antigua and Barbuda
St. Vincent and the Grenadines
St. Lucia
Grenada
tel52
Registered
I'm sure the resident Sperm whale pod is safe. I have heard of no plans for any whaling in the Caribbean. In fact, when you are there it will be an excellent opportunity to see Sperm whales close up. We did an afternoon whale watching expedition with the Castle Comfort dive op and had an excellent close up (but not too close) encounter with a mother and calf.
AFAIK, the arrangement with Japan is a Quid Pro Quo exchanging pro whaling votes at the whaling commission for financial assistance. I can't speak as to whether the assistance actually benefits the common people. I certainly hope so, but I tend to be a bit overly cynical at times.
I have known about the Dominica whaling connection for a couple of years, but only very recently found out about the other Eastern Caribbean islands involvement. I'm a bit chagrined about the very positive St. Lucia trip report I have posted in this forum. I'll be editing it quite soon to reflect this new information. I must admit that I was unaware of the Palau involvement. I'll be researching this further as I am in the preliminary planning stages for a multi week Micronesia trip to celebrate my upcoming retirement.
Have a great time on your trip. It is a beautiful island, with good diving and some wonderful people.
OP
opalobsidian
Contributor
from 2005...
Powered by **** - CYBER DIVER News Network
by EVAN T. ALLARD - **** Eco News Editor
KOROR, Palau (9 Nov 2005) -- What do you do for an encore after you prostitute your country to Japan's commercial whaling agenda and ruin its eco-friendly image?
Well if you're Palau president Tommy Remengesau, you get hot under your blubbery, made-in-Japan collar about global warming and the world's biodiversity.
In a speech to visiting U.S. officials, Remengesau boasted that Palau is a world leader in conservation and muttered vague slogans about global issues requiring global solutions and global partnerships.
"For Palau, the environment is our economic future," Remengesau said. "We have no higher issue on our agenda than the preservation of our natural resources."
Despite the eco-friendly rhetoric delivered at a meeting of U.S. Coral Reef Task Force participants, Remengesau recently brokered a deal to support Japan's agenda to kill dolphins and whales in waters surrounding Palau and throughout the world.
According to respected international environmental groups, Palau's partnership with Japan is based on agreements that the island nation will vote to support Japan's ongoing slaughter of whales and dolphins in exchange for various development grants.
While Remengesau denies that Palau's pro-whaling position is a "sell-out" that puts economic goals ahead of environmental protection, officials in pro-whaling Caribbean countries have admitted that Japan's aid program is nothing more than bribes to buy votes against marine sanctuaries at annual International Whaling Conference (IWC) meetings
Follow uo 2006...
NZ angry over Pacific islands' pro-whaling votes
By New Zealand correspondent Peter Lewis
Posted Tue Jun 20, 2006 12:01pm AEST
Updated Tue Jun 20, 2006 12:02pm AEST
The New Zealand Government has condemned the decision by six Pacific nations to support Japan's pro-whaling declaration at the International Whaling Commission (IWC).
All six Pacific island members of the IWC voted to support the resolution which criticises the moratorium on commercial whaling.
New Zealand's Conservation Minister Chris Carter says the Solomon Islands, Nauru, Tuvalu, the Marshall Islands, Kiribati and Palau, let down their neighbours with their vote.
He says its the second time the Solomon Islands Government said publicly it would abstain from voting, but did not do so.
Powered by **** - CYBER DIVER News Network
by EVAN T. ALLARD - **** Eco News Editor
KOROR, Palau (9 Nov 2005) -- What do you do for an encore after you prostitute your country to Japan's commercial whaling agenda and ruin its eco-friendly image?
Well if you're Palau president Tommy Remengesau, you get hot under your blubbery, made-in-Japan collar about global warming and the world's biodiversity.
In a speech to visiting U.S. officials, Remengesau boasted that Palau is a world leader in conservation and muttered vague slogans about global issues requiring global solutions and global partnerships.
"For Palau, the environment is our economic future," Remengesau said. "We have no higher issue on our agenda than the preservation of our natural resources."
Despite the eco-friendly rhetoric delivered at a meeting of U.S. Coral Reef Task Force participants, Remengesau recently brokered a deal to support Japan's agenda to kill dolphins and whales in waters surrounding Palau and throughout the world.
According to respected international environmental groups, Palau's partnership with Japan is based on agreements that the island nation will vote to support Japan's ongoing slaughter of whales and dolphins in exchange for various development grants.
While Remengesau denies that Palau's pro-whaling position is a "sell-out" that puts economic goals ahead of environmental protection, officials in pro-whaling Caribbean countries have admitted that Japan's aid program is nothing more than bribes to buy votes against marine sanctuaries at annual International Whaling Conference (IWC) meetings
Follow uo 2006...
NZ angry over Pacific islands' pro-whaling votes
By New Zealand correspondent Peter Lewis
Posted Tue Jun 20, 2006 12:01pm AEST
Updated Tue Jun 20, 2006 12:02pm AEST
The New Zealand Government has condemned the decision by six Pacific nations to support Japan's pro-whaling declaration at the International Whaling Commission (IWC).
All six Pacific island members of the IWC voted to support the resolution which criticises the moratorium on commercial whaling.
New Zealand's Conservation Minister Chris Carter says the Solomon Islands, Nauru, Tuvalu, the Marshall Islands, Kiribati and Palau, let down their neighbours with their vote.
He says its the second time the Solomon Islands Government said publicly it would abstain from voting, but did not do so.
OP
opalobsidian
Contributor
Citizens from pro-whaling countries say No to whaling-WWF public opinion poll on commercial whaling in 10 Pacific and Caribbean countries
© WWF-Canon / William W. ROSSITER
A WWF poll reveals that citizens from countries in the Pacific and Caribbean, whose governments repeatedly vote to resume commercial whaling, do not support the hunting and killing of whales.
15 Jun 2006
St Kitts and Nevis On the eve of 58th International Whaling Commission (IWC) meeting, a new WWF poll reveals that citizens from ten countries in the Pacific and Caribbean, whose governments repeatedly vote to resume commercial whaling, do not support the hunting and killing of whales.
The WWF poll was carried out in Palau, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, the Marshall Islands, Kiribati, Grenada, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, St Lucia, and St Kitts and Nevis, where the IWC meeting is being held.
The poll included questions on: awareness of the IWC; whether countries should vote for or against a return to commercial whaling; and support for past votes that called for a return to commercial whaling.
The evidence is overwhelming, said Dr Susan Lieberman, Head of WWFs Global Species Programme.
Governments are ignoring public opinion and claiming to vote for whaling on behalf of their citizens. Commercial whaling will not help alleviate poverty nor help coastal communities. It doesnt matter how many times you state it, it doesnt make it true.
In each Pacific country surveyed, a majority of people were unaware of the IWC, but many were against their country voting for a return to commercial whaling than were for it, and if their country had voted for a return in the past, they think that it should not have done so.
In answer to the question Do you think your country should vote for or against a return to commercial whaling?, the Marshall Islands rejected returning to whaling by 64%, Tuvalu by 64%, Kiribati by 47% (14% dont know), Palau by 76%, and the Solomon Islands by 72%.
In none of the five Caribbean countries surveyed, does a majority think their country should vote for a return to commercial whaling, nor think their country should have in the past voted for a return to commercial whaling. In four of these countries, the majority of people were aware of the IWC.
In answer to the question The representative of your country has in past meetings of the IWC voted for a return to commercial whaling. Do you think your country should have voted this way? Grenada voted "no" by 33% (37% dont know) St Lucia by 50% (17% dont know) , Antigua and Barbuda by 79%, Dominica by 40% (14% dont know), and St Kitts and Nevis by 54%.
Japan, through its 20-year pro-whaling lobbying strategy, is poised to claim victory this year by gaining the majority of votes needed at the IWC to set in course actions to dismantle the rules that protect whales and prepare the way for the eventual full resumption of commercial whaling
© WWF-Canon / William W. ROSSITER
A WWF poll reveals that citizens from countries in the Pacific and Caribbean, whose governments repeatedly vote to resume commercial whaling, do not support the hunting and killing of whales.
15 Jun 2006
St Kitts and Nevis On the eve of 58th International Whaling Commission (IWC) meeting, a new WWF poll reveals that citizens from ten countries in the Pacific and Caribbean, whose governments repeatedly vote to resume commercial whaling, do not support the hunting and killing of whales.
The WWF poll was carried out in Palau, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, the Marshall Islands, Kiribati, Grenada, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, St Lucia, and St Kitts and Nevis, where the IWC meeting is being held.
The poll included questions on: awareness of the IWC; whether countries should vote for or against a return to commercial whaling; and support for past votes that called for a return to commercial whaling.
The evidence is overwhelming, said Dr Susan Lieberman, Head of WWFs Global Species Programme.
Governments are ignoring public opinion and claiming to vote for whaling on behalf of their citizens. Commercial whaling will not help alleviate poverty nor help coastal communities. It doesnt matter how many times you state it, it doesnt make it true.
In each Pacific country surveyed, a majority of people were unaware of the IWC, but many were against their country voting for a return to commercial whaling than were for it, and if their country had voted for a return in the past, they think that it should not have done so.
In answer to the question Do you think your country should vote for or against a return to commercial whaling?, the Marshall Islands rejected returning to whaling by 64%, Tuvalu by 64%, Kiribati by 47% (14% dont know), Palau by 76%, and the Solomon Islands by 72%.
In none of the five Caribbean countries surveyed, does a majority think their country should vote for a return to commercial whaling, nor think their country should have in the past voted for a return to commercial whaling. In four of these countries, the majority of people were aware of the IWC.
In answer to the question The representative of your country has in past meetings of the IWC voted for a return to commercial whaling. Do you think your country should have voted this way? Grenada voted "no" by 33% (37% dont know) St Lucia by 50% (17% dont know) , Antigua and Barbuda by 79%, Dominica by 40% (14% dont know), and St Kitts and Nevis by 54%.
Japan, through its 20-year pro-whaling lobbying strategy, is poised to claim victory this year by gaining the majority of votes needed at the IWC to set in course actions to dismantle the rules that protect whales and prepare the way for the eventual full resumption of commercial whaling
That should be a list for everyone. They should be pressured to reject their alignments with Japan. All of those islands depend on tourism, with many of the tourists being divers. Public awareness and education is key. Hopefully the word will get out. Maybe this little thread will get the ball rolling.
You might want to add the United States to that list. Whales are now protected here, about a century too late, and there are lots of places to see flipper catch a fish and leap in formation, but there are other issues that are at least as important.
For example, coal mining companies have begun using massive explosions to blow the tops off entire mountains in West Virginia. They recently won the right to do so in court. It's their land, and if they want to level mountains in order to stripmine, thereby polluting all interconnected rivers and streams and ultimately contributing to the toxic brew in costal bays, Washington has no objection. Besides, the mining companies are big political contributors.
How about drilling for oil in protected Alaska refuges? Not signing the Kyoto protocols? Dredging most of Florida's west coast, and allowing developers to turn the entire state of Florida into a dying ecosystem over the past 50 years? Or, in the midst of a global energy crisis allowing cluless morons to buy gas guzzling SUVs that, while, technically trucks, are classified by the government as cars in order to boost sales? There are countless additional examples of the damage the US inflicts on the seas, rainforests, and the other vulnerable natural areas remaining on this planet.
The United States has been destroying its resources, polluting the seas, and killing off reefs and marine life at staggering rates for decades. I have to laugh when Americans, with their huge environmental footprints, driving gigantic polluting monstrosities, sucking up water thats been accumulating in deep water subterannean reservoirs for thousands of years to water lawns and golf courses, building houses where no man-made structures belong, and subsidizing the destruction of wild areas all around the world to feed an insatiable appetite for every imaginable wasteful appetite become jugemental about small island nations.
Dominica is the second poorest nation in the Caribbean. I, along with most Dominicans, am unhappy about the vote it sold to Japan. Even worse things may happen, as China increases its financial contributions to Dominica, making Dominica increasingly dependent on China. The US spends its money in other ways. Cuba provides more assistance to Dominica than we do. Dominica, which derives very little money from tourism, scrapes by any way it can. There are only 70,000 people living there. Still, they try very hard to keep their little island green and unpolluted.
If you want to boycott, start with the United States. Then maybe China. You will have to go a long, long way down any legitimate list before you get to Dominica.
For example, coal mining companies have begun using massive explosions to blow the tops off entire mountains in West Virginia. They recently won the right to do so in court. It's their land, and if they want to level mountains in order to stripmine, thereby polluting all interconnected rivers and streams and ultimately contributing to the toxic brew in costal bays, Washington has no objection. Besides, the mining companies are big political contributors.
How about drilling for oil in protected Alaska refuges? Not signing the Kyoto protocols? Dredging most of Florida's west coast, and allowing developers to turn the entire state of Florida into a dying ecosystem over the past 50 years? Or, in the midst of a global energy crisis allowing cluless morons to buy gas guzzling SUVs that, while, technically trucks, are classified by the government as cars in order to boost sales? There are countless additional examples of the damage the US inflicts on the seas, rainforests, and the other vulnerable natural areas remaining on this planet.
The United States has been destroying its resources, polluting the seas, and killing off reefs and marine life at staggering rates for decades. I have to laugh when Americans, with their huge environmental footprints, driving gigantic polluting monstrosities, sucking up water thats been accumulating in deep water subterannean reservoirs for thousands of years to water lawns and golf courses, building houses where no man-made structures belong, and subsidizing the destruction of wild areas all around the world to feed an insatiable appetite for every imaginable wasteful appetite become jugemental about small island nations.
Dominica is the second poorest nation in the Caribbean. I, along with most Dominicans, am unhappy about the vote it sold to Japan. Even worse things may happen, as China increases its financial contributions to Dominica, making Dominica increasingly dependent on China. The US spends its money in other ways. Cuba provides more assistance to Dominica than we do. Dominica, which derives very little money from tourism, scrapes by any way it can. There are only 70,000 people living there. Still, they try very hard to keep their little island green and unpolluted.
If you want to boycott, start with the United States. Then maybe China. You will have to go a long, long way down any legitimate list before you get to Dominica.
OP
opalobsidian
Contributor
Tremendously good points Agilis!
You said what I wanted to say! And what about supporting a government that wages war illegally?
The last time I made a posting like this it disappeared within a few hours.
Pamela
You said what I wanted to say! And what about supporting a government that wages war illegally?
The last time I made a posting like this it disappeared within a few hours.
Pamela
We went through that illegal war thing several times on this board. I was usually deleted if I wrote anything that sounded critical of certain lunatic political leaders who are responsible for the kinds of actions that got a bunch of people hanged at Nuremberg.
On the other hand, some profoundly ignorant people wrote vile diatribes directed against various political and religious groups, and these were not deleted. I wrote to the moderators expressing my concern that there appeared to be a double standard. Evidently, a few moderators believe that some comments are reflective of Godliness and patriotism, while others are not, and are consequently in violation of terms of service agreements, even though all were posted in the non-diving forum.
My advice is to stay clear of anything thats smacks of politics. I failed to follw my own advice in these last two posts, but I'm truly repentant, and urge you to beware of the traps set by Satan to ensnare the unwary. I used to be a Supporting Member, but see the lowly estate to which I have been relegated.
On the other hand, some profoundly ignorant people wrote vile diatribes directed against various political and religious groups, and these were not deleted. I wrote to the moderators expressing my concern that there appeared to be a double standard. Evidently, a few moderators believe that some comments are reflective of Godliness and patriotism, while others are not, and are consequently in violation of terms of service agreements, even though all were posted in the non-diving forum.
My advice is to stay clear of anything thats smacks of politics. I failed to follw my own advice in these last two posts, but I'm truly repentant, and urge you to beware of the traps set by Satan to ensnare the unwary. I used to be a Supporting Member, but see the lowly estate to which I have been relegated.
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