North Coast MP continues her anti-whaling stance as the Australian east coast prepares to count its whales in June 2010

Breaching Humpback Whale taken by Wayne Reynolds at Wild About Whales
Blue Whale and Humpack whale songs

Janelle Saffin, Federal Labor Member for Page on the NSW North Coast, has a genuine history of interest in environmental issues and opposition to whaling in the Southern Ocean.

2007: Coastal pollution, Japanese whaling, climate change, sustainable forestry and resource management will be among the topics up for discussion when the new Member for Page meets with Southern Cross University researchers at the Lismore campus tomorrow (December 14).
Janelle Saffin will receive a briefing on a range of environmental issues impacting on the North Coast from academic staff in the School of Environmental Science and Management.

2008: Page MP Janelle Saffin said the Australian public clearly wanted to put an end to Japan's so-called scientific-based whaling and that many young people in her electorate were very passionate about the cause. "Some people have asked why we don't send in the warships immediately, and it's because we obviously have an obligation to settle things diplomatically and peacefully," Ms Saffin said. "Our actions so far have been robust, sending an unambiguous message to the Japanese Government that whaling should be consigned to history.

2010 in the House of Representatives: I represent the electorate of Page, and the active communities across my electorate regularly raise a number of issues and priorities with me. Today I take the opportunity to put on the record issues impacting and affecting my electorate. The community's priorities are my priorities. I may not be able to mention all them that I want to in three minutes, but I will see how I go. There are two issues that many members of the community are passionately opposed to......There is a strong antiwhaling campaign in Page. There is support for the government's diplomatic efforts with Japan to get them to cease and for the legal case, coming by year's end, if diplomatic efforts do not bear fruit. There is support for Sea Shepherd and others who work to stop Japanese whaling in the southern ocean.

2010 in The Northern Star : FEDERAL Member for Page Janelle Saffin has welcomed the Australian Government's decision to initiate legal action in the International Court of Justice in The Hague against Japanese 'scientific' whaling in the Southern Ocean.Ms Saffin said she endorsed the government's commitment to bring an end to whaling in the Southern Ocean Sanctuary and around the globe, after unsuccessful efforts to find a diplomatic resolution to this issue in the International Whaling Commission and bilaterally with Japan."This decision is not one which has been taken lightly, but it will have widespread support across Page from all sectors of the community because so many local people are passionately opposed to whaling," she said.

This month the annual east coast whale census occurs and now is the time to make plans to participate:

On Sunday 27 June 2010, ORRCA (Organisation for the Rescue and Research of Cetaceans in Australia) will be conducting its annual Whale Census Day along the Australian coastline. If you are interested in whales, we invite you to head to your nearest or favourite ocean viewing spot to take part in the whale census and learn more about these noble and fascinating creatures.
To register and report your sightings, just call the ORRCA Hotline (24 hours) on (02) 9415 3333. Pack a picnic, sun block and your binoculars (and a book on whales if you have one) and enjoy the great outdoors.

You can also show your support for whales at Tails for Whales