Whale Hunting in Antigua ? Please Read

[Idylles15.5]

First of all let me say that I am no green peace nut job by any means, but after we almost wiped out a species, I can't believe in this day and age government back door deals in Antigua would allow whale hunting in their waters again. I have no problem posting my name on here for this cause. My Name is Nelson Schlaefer and my family had a home in Antigua for twenty years at the now defunked Hodges Bay Club. What used to be a friendly beautiful island has now unfortunatley become more corrupt then ever. Anyone who has been on noonsite can see that there has already been three murders in Antigua since the first of this year. Star Clippers already stopped going to Antigua and now Carnival since a young women was found stabbed in St Johns, during a few hour Day excursion. If the govn. wasnt corrupt enough allowing the drug trafficing run rampid and crime, now they have made a deal to allow whale hunting in their waters. I would like to think we have become a little more advanced as a species then to allow the hunting of whales again. Imagine your nice carribean cruise when all of a suddun you sail up on a harpoon ship and bloody carribean waters. Pretty sick I think. As I said I am not some nut but this is crazy. I'm asking anyone and everyone on here to help me do something like maybe try to boycott Antigua Sail week or at least label anyone who would participate in ths event this year. With all of the millionairs and famous people at this event I'm sure we could have some effect if we made them aware of the whale hunting policies. Please spead the word, and read noonsite.com piracy report on Antigua. What a shame this beautiful island I onced went to every year for twenty years has turned out like this. Lets all do something to stop this. Thank you fellow sailor Nelson Schlaefer

[David M]

Do you have any links or other sources so we can confirm this? ..other than the one you provided. I am not a Greenpeace or Sea Shepherd type either, but I am definitely against whaling. I would like to see a number of sources before we assume these accusations are true.

[Idylles15.5]

Just type in whaling in Antigua on your computer and read the threads. I was unsure also, but this is really happening.

[hummingway]

Japan, Norway and Iceland still whale. Spain and Portugal appear intent on wiping Blue Fin Tuna out in the Atlantic. Japan and many Asian nations send drift net fleets into the open Pacific and threaten many species. Protective forests of the mississippi delta are gone, the mangroves cut for oil canals and a hugh dead zone is spreading in the gulf, hypoxia is killing it as nutrients from fertilizers pour down the Mississippi unfiltered. In the Pacific North West salmon habitat has been destroyed by careless logging and mining practises and formerly great salmon runs have been devastated.

I'm not a greenpeace nut, I'm just a garden variety nut. It's a shame about Antigua but we shouldn't forget what's going on in our own backyards either.

[Idylles15.5]

This has apperantly been going on for longer then I even knew, now that I have looked a little further into it. Here is a link www.cdnn.info/eco you can also look in the Antiguan Sun their local newspaper.

[unbusted67]

Originally Posted by hummingway

I'm not a greenpeace nut, I'm just a garden variety nut. It's a shame about Antigua but we shouldn't forget what's going on in our own backyards either.

Unfortunately it doesn't take a nut to see the impact we have on our environs. If even 1/8th of what is said is happening is actually happening (all spin and media paranoia aside) then our oceans and the plants and animals that grow in them are in a bad way. What can we do? Is there a link so we can at least write a letter to the Antigua government?

[Idylles15.5]

Their tourism is already in a bad way with the crime rate and the cruise lines starting to not come. Log into the Antiguan Sun and you can read some of the articles written by Antiguans themselves about the murders and the crimes and whaling and all. They are disgusted as well.

[fishwife]

Neither am I a nut but I found this link. CDNN ACT NOW :: Scuba Diving Safety, Environmental Issues I couldn't get the other cdnn link to work.

P.

[Idylles15.5]

Thanks for posting the link. The more proof we have the better. I'm a PADI diver as well and I didn't even know about that link.

[Bash]

Glad to see that you people are finally catching up with "green peace nut jobs" like myself (although I must admit I generally prefer the term "Knowledgeable Environmental Educator.")

Google up the web site of the IWC and you'll discover that the representative from Antigua and Barbados is currently serving a three-year term as Vice Chair of the commission. Puts him squarely in line to be the next chair, to the increasing concern of whales everywhere.

It's not just Antigua, unfortunately, that should cause concern. A number of Caribbean nations--Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts, St. Lucia and St. Vincent--have begun to align themselves with the Japan/Norway/Iceland faction in the last five years and consistently vote however Japan directs them to vote. What's interesting about this is that none of these nations has a history of whaling, and all tend to want to promote themselves as eco-tourism destinations.

Members of the diving community have organized themselves to boycott nations voting to expand whale harvesting. The sailing community, unfortunately, seems to be either less aware of the issues or less concerned about them.

On my part, I've always found it curious that so many cruisers try to avoid the "stigma" of being concerned about the environment. Such is not the case on our boat, where have a tradition of making a log entry every time we sight a cetacean larger than a harbor porpoise. Don't other cruisers enjoy these sightings as well? Or should we be content with fewer sightings, once Japan has its way?

[Idylles15.5]

I honestly don't think sailors were aware for the most part. As I mentioned my family had a home on the island for 20 years, but unfortunately when your there your just enjoying the place and thinking of the politics behind the scenes. There is a lot of wealth and influence especially in the European sailing community which makes up most of the Antigua and other island sail weeks. We all need to do something. The piracey is getting worse around all of the islands as well, so the sailing community better get involved.

[Ram]

Well Bash if your a green peace nut job,I guess I could be called one also! Why must some folks put such a label on people that they do not understand?

Originally Posted by Bash

Glad to see that you people are finally catching up with "green peace nut jobs" like myself (although I must admit I generally prefer the term "Knowledgeable Environmental Educator.")

Google up the web site of the IWC and you'll discover that the representative from Antigua and Barbados is currently serving a three-year term as Vice Chair of the commission. Puts him squarely in line to be the next chair, to the increasing concern of whales everywhere.

It's not just Antigua, unfortunately, that should cause concern. A number of Caribbean nations--Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts, St. Lucia and St. Vincent--have begun to align themselves with the Japan/Norway/Iceland faction in the last five years and consistently vote however Japan directs them to vote. What's interesting about this is that none of these nations has a history of whaling, and all tend to want to promote themselves as eco-tourism destinations.

Members of the diving community have organized themselves to boycott nations voting to expand whale harvesting. The sailing community, unfortunately, seems to be either less aware of the issues or less concerned about them.

On my part, I've always found it curious that so many cruisers try to avoid the "stigma" of being concerned about the environment. Such is not the case on our boat, where have a tradition of making a log entry every time we sight a cetacean larger than a harbor porpoise. Don't other cruisers enjoy these sightings as well? Or should we be content with fewer sightings, once Japan has its way?

[Idylles15.5]

Let me clear up my post of green peace nut job. I am all for the enviorment, but sometimes it an get a little silly, for instane when you can't dredge a whole harbor full of Marinas (which is the case here on Long Island in many places) because you might disturb a snail or something. That is all I meant. No offense to any Green Peace members.

[Ram]

Originally Posted by Idylles15.5

Let me clear up my post of green peace nut job. I am all for the enviorment, but sometimes it an get a little silly, for instane when you can't dredge a whole harbor full of Marinas (which is the case here on Long Island in many places) because you might disturb a snail or something. That is all I meant. No offense to any Green Peace members.

Im not a member of any group, that said, in my experence money talks and the snail gets crushed put on a plate and eaten! I am only guessing here but from what ive seen a lot of those groups there doing something that someone needs to be done, like trying to keep whales/dolphins ect from becoming extinct-but like any big group perhaps they go to far in some cases, although i cannot name one--can anyone? if so send a link-

[fishwife]

Here CDNN ACT NOW :: Boycott Antigua, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Vincent there is an opportunity to send a proforma letter or you can write your own. I sent one based on cruising because the proforma letter centres on diving. If you write, you may like to tell them how much you'd usually spend every day if you visited. Let them get some idea of the possible economic impact.

P.