A reminder of why whaling in the Antarctic is not scientific research

Photograph of Migaloo from The Sydney Morning Herald

From the Humane Society International website in 2006:
The bulk of the evidence against Kyodo Senpaku Kaisha comes from the Japanese Government's own reports to the IWC on its scientific research program. The Japanese Government submits JARPA Cruise Reports and Research Plans to the International Whaling Commission for their information.
From these reports HSI has calculated that since 2000, Kyodo Senpaku Kaisha has openly and illegally killed over 1300 minke whales within the Australian Whale Sanctuary.

It is possible that of the 505 Antarctic minke whales killed in Antarctic waters in 2006-07 by the Japanese whaling fleet, 262 of were pregnant females, while it is suspected that one of the three fin whales killed was also in calf. The New Scientist reported this week that; The three whaling nations [Japan, Norway and Iceland] now kill around 1600 whales a year.

An estimated 679 minke whales and 1 fin whale were killed by the Japanese whaling fleet in Antarctic waters in 2009, allegedly for scientific research but in fact purely for commercial sale.

Many of the whales harried and hunted by the Government of Japan and its whaling fleet are those whom we Australians have carefully shepherded out to sea when they have come too close into shallow water, have disentangled from netting, have reunited with a their pod, or simply looked happily on as they swam up and down our coastlines in many thousands of years old migration patterns.

Now with America's connivance and at the whaling nations' insistence, the International Whaling Commission looks as through it is going to endorse a ten-year suspension of the international ban on whaling to allow nations like Japan to continue rape and plunder the oceans at will with impunity. Migaloo the white humpback whale (who once again successfully completed his Australian east coast migration in 2009) and all his cetacean kind are in danger.

Chair's Report to the Small Working Group on the Future of the IWC

Song knowledge is thought to transfer from male whale to male whale evolving over time in a similar fashion to verbally transmitted tribal lore in the world's oldest continuing culture, indigenous Australians. A YouTube video recording of The Oceania Project whales and their songs.

Clarence Valley Review finally catches up with the rest of the world

Teh Clarence Valley Review finally catches up with the rest of the world and posts some of its recent editions online here. I'd been waiting so long that I'd stopped checking this local rag's website and twas sheer chance which saw me light there this week.

Burger Off! The Westlawn Group Shame File

Every big developer operating in Australia, particularly foreign multinationals, has an enabler.
Sometimes in is the federal or state government of the day, some times local government or a landowner, sometimes a paid lobbyist and, sometimes it is all five.

The McDonald's Australia Ltd move to establish a 24 hour drive-through and eat-in fast food outlet in the small coastal town of Yamba at the mouth of the Clarence River is probably being eased into being by three out of five of these categories.

Professional Public Relations Pty Ltd (PPR) continues to support the fast food giant's image and lobby government on its behalf.

Almost every Clarence Valley shire councillor who has bothered to make a statement in relation to the development application has opened the door wide enough for later weasel-worded retreats and a vote for this highly inappropriate proposal and, Clarence Property Corporation Ltd (part of the Westlawn Group) as owner/manager of the land to be developed is quite happily supporting McDonald's.

Now in this day and age it is hard to shield individuals having control of land behind a corporation blind. Indeed its the fashion these days for them to trumpet their identities.

So here are the men responsible for allowing McDonald's a foot in the door in a town in which many of the residents are opposed to this glorified hamburger joint's entry:

Peter Fahey Executive Managing Director

James Dougherty Non-Executive Chairman JimD@westlawn.com.au

Geoffrey Shepherd Non-Executive Director

Michael Dougherty Non-Executive Director MikeD@westlawn.com.au
Peter Burge Portfolio Services Director
Paul Rippon Chief Financial Officer & Company Secretary

It is doubtful that McDonald's Australia would be proceeding this year if it were not for these individuals (who can justifiably be described as predominantly out-of-towners) placing the company's bottom line above the best interests of a coastal community.

Watching Kevin Rudd disembowel himself with a spoon......

Watching successful Kevin 07, who almost couldn't put a foot wrong during the Australian 2007 federal election campaign, decide to water down or abandon everything that led to his team winning government is like watching someone try to disembowel themselves with a blunt object.
Painful, ineffectual and very disconcerting for an audience who has to vote again this year.
Last week's abdominal scoop was refugees or asylum seekers from Sri Lanka and Afghanistan and in the process the Rudd Labor Government invited unfortunate comparisons with the ardent 'furriner' hating Howard Government
Peter Martin posted this government document laying out the entire rationale for so major a door slam.
That this is purely a move to stem the flow of boat people (as opposed to all those Pommie and Kiwi illegal immigrants who originally came on tourist visas) rather than simply a re-assessment of the situation in Sri Lanka or Afghanistan is seen in threats to de-register remittance dealers if they allowed cash transfers to people smugglers and the creation of yet another intelligence agency:

"A tough new regulatory regime will provide powers to de-register remittance dealers that facilitate access to funds for people smuggling ventures and other unlawful activities, including money laundering.

These new powers will be administered by the CEO of the Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC).

Remittance dealers accept cash, cheques and other forms of payment in one location and arrange the payment of an equivalent amount of cash or value to someone in another location, usually overseas.

Remittance dealers range from global money transfer businesses and their franchisees and agents (e.g. Western Union, Australia Post), to smaller ethnic community-based

entities.

AUSTRAC estimates that there are around 6,500 remittance dealers operating

in Australia.

Australian law enforcement authorities are aware that international cash transfer services provided by remittance dealers can be used to pay the organisers of smuggling ventures........

"The Government will provide $14.5 million over four years to establish a new Criminal Intelligence Fusion Centre to provide new capabilities to detect and prevent organised crime, including people smuggling and related activities"

The beginnings of life show how much we have in common with the rest of the natural world

From This Blog Rules: These amazing embryonic animal photographs of dolphins, sharks, dogs, penguins, cats and elephants are from a new National Geographic Documentary called “Extraordinary Animals in the Womb”. The show’s producer, Peter Chinn, used a combination of three-dimensional ultrasound scans, computer graphics and tiny cameras to capture the process from conception to birth. They are the most detailed embryonic animal pictures ever seen.

Hat tip to Rod3000 (Managing Editor of newmatilda.com plus two kids, cats and chooks) for tweeting about this.

Tell this VP that McDonald's is not wanted in Yamba

This is Kristene Mullen, a McDonald's Australia vice president and director of communications.
She's under the impression that Macca's is the best thing to happen to Oz since sliced bread.
Yamba residents and visitors on holiday can tell her differently at kristene.mullen@au.mcd.com or they can write to Peter Bush, McDonald's Australia CEO at Head Office 21-29 Central Ave THORNLEIGH NSW 2120.

NO TO McDONALDS IN YAMBA!