Lost in the din of the BP Deepwater Disaster oil spill was the announcement that the United States and the Obama Administration have been major players in back room negotiations that will allow Japan, Norway, and Iceland to restart commercial whaling.
Every President since Reagan has supported the international ban on the killing of whales going back to 1986.
According to numerous sources that include the Los Angeles Times and Current TV:
After years of backroom negotiations and closed-door meetings, a secret deal has emerged that would re-start the cruel commercial slaughter of our ocean’s great whales.
That’s right, the same country that for decades has led the international fight to stop the cruel and unnecessary commercial slaughter of whales…whose president promised to be a leader on wildlife protections…is now behind the deal that would reintroduce commercial whaling. In fact, four out of the last five closed-door meetings that produced this plan have been held on American soil. This is a deal that was literally “made in the USA!”
But now – on President Obama’s watch – the United States is about to support a plan that will reintroduce legalized commercial whaling – this despite his campaign assurances that he would strengthen protections for whales.
Greenpeace has labeled President Obama as Public Enemy #1 because of his support of of this unconscionable deal that sanctions the slaughter of these magnificent creatures.
Dear Friends .I was appalled to hear on Earth Day of all days that the International.Whaling Commission has put forward a deal that would legalize commercial.whaling for the first time in a generation..Even worse the Obama Administration has backed this deadly.proposal which would suspend the international ban on whaling and.make it legal once again to kill whales for profit. It s time for you and me to hold him to that.promise…Obama Administration officials claim that the IWC deal would be a step.forward for whales because it could rein in Japan Iceland and Norway which.have killed thousands of whales since 1986 by exploiting loopholes in the.whaling ban..But in fact this new deal is a giant step backward. And it will not stop them from trading in.whale meat or killing whales under legal loopholes like scientific permits. .Don t believe for a minute that this kind of deal would phase down whaling.