Japanski vele­pos­lanik za EU izravno pozvan na odgo­vornost za kitolov


1 studenoga 2016

Stranka za životinje se 26. listopada izravno obratila novom japanskom veleposlaniku za EU, Kazua Kodama, o perzistentnom japanskom kitolovu. Bio je to Kodamin prvi susret s Europskim parlamentom. “Ovaj tjedan slavimo 30. obljetnicu međunarodne zabrane kitolova. U srpnju je velika većina u Europskom parlamentu pozvala Japan da zaustavi kitolov. Da li će Japan nastaviti sa kitolovom, usprkos pozivu parlamenta?”, pitala je europarlamentarac Anja Hazekamp.

A Humpback Whale breaching near at the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia.

Stranka za životinje je također zatražila od veleposlanika da pojasni japansku blokadu rezervata za kitove u južnom Atlantiku, spominjajući sastanak Međunarodne komisije kitolova (IWC) u kojoj se prošlog utorka bilo okupilo 64 zemalja. Na sastanku je predloženo da se izgradi novi rezervat u južnom Atlantiku. Ovaj rezervat bi dupinima i kitovima ne samo trebao pružiti sigurnost protiv lova, nego i protiv mnogih drugih opasnosti. Iako su sve zemlje u regiju podržale planove za rezervat za kitove, ovu inicijativu su, zbog pritiska iz Japana, ipak blokirale zemlje koje se bave kitolovom.

“Neshvatljivo je da je Japan ponovno glasao protiv zaštite kitova. U interesu je svih da se kitovi spase od istrebljenja”, rekla je Hazekamp veleposlaniku Kodami.

Japanski veleposlanik izrazio je da je njegova zemlja glasala protiv zaštitne zone, jer bi takva zona stajala na putu japanskom kitolovu. Osim toga je Kodama naznačio da ne namjerava zaustaviti japanski kitolov. On je ukazao na razmjenu pisma između Stranka za životinje i njegovog prethodnika ranije ove godine, u kojima je Hazekamp tadašnjeg veleposlanika ukazala na odluku Međunarodnog suda u Haagu, koja govori da je japanski kitolov u tom području bio ilegalan, Kao i njegov prethodnik, Kodama je naznačio da on ovu odluku tumači drugačije i zbog toga vidi prostor za nastavak kitolova.

At his first European Parliament meeting on 26 October, new Japanese EU ambassador Kazua Kodama was addressed directly by the Party for the Animals on the ongoing whaling activities in Japan. “This week we are celebrating the 30th anniversary of the International Whaling Ban. In July, a majority of European Parliament has called on Japan to put an end to whale hunting. Is Japan going to ignore the European Parliament’s call?” MEP Anja Hazekamp asked Kodama.

A Humpback Whale breaching near at the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia.

In addition, the Party for the Animals has asked the ambassador to clarify why Japan has defeated the proposal to create a whale sanctuary in the South Atlantic, referring to a meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) last Tuesday, when members of 64 nations were brought together. During the meeting it was proposed that a new sanctuary would be realised in the southern part of the Atlantic, which would provide safety for dolphins and whales not only against hunting, but against other kinds of danger. Although all countries in the region supported the plans for a whale sanctuary, pressure from Japan has caused whaling nations to block the initiative.

“Yet Again, Japan has voted against measures to protect the whales, which is unbelievable. Saving whales from extinction is in everyone’s interest,” Hazekamp declared.

The Japanese ambassador indicated that his country voted against the protected area because it would interfere with Japanese whaling. He also stated that he does not intend to end Japanese whale hunting, by which he was referring to an exchange of letters earlier this year between his predecessor and the Party for the Animals. In her letter, Hazekamp pointed out a judgement of the International Court of Justice in The Hague stating that the whaling that took place in Japan in the past was illegal in that area. Like his predecessor, Kodama has declared that he interprets the judgement differently and sees scope to continue whale hunting.