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Eurocentric Greenpeace Campaign Against Whaling
by Anonymous on 18 May 2005 @ 08:37 PM

The Eurocentric Greenpeace Campaign Against Whaling

A Comment from Captain Paul Watson

Although I am fully in support of the efforts by Greenpeace to oppose the construction of a whale meat processing plant in South Korea, I
am puzzled that Greenpeace is involved in a campaign against South Korea and not Norway. This smacks of a Eurocentric bias. The Greenpeace
ship Esperanza is in Norway yet they refuse to challenge the whalers because in the words of one Greenpeace Norway representative, "whaling
is a distraction from more important issues." In other words, stopping whaling in South Korea is important but in Norway it is a
distraction. Greenpeace has never had an active campaign against the slaughter of pilot whales in the Danish Faeroe Islands. The difference
between the Faeroes and Norway and the situation in South Korea is that Greenpeace has a membership base in Norway and Denmark and Danish
and Norwegian public opinion is in favor of whaling. The campaign in South Korea is based in Tokyo where according the Steve Shallhorn of
Greenpeace Japan, there are 5500 Japanese Greenpeace members. The Japanese would of course be supportive of a campaign against the Koreans
yet Greenpeace has not sent a single representative to oppose the slaughter of dolphins in Taiji, Japan. So why is whaling acceptable in
Norway and Denmark and killing dolphins is acceptable in Japan, but whaling is unacceptable in Korea? Could it be that Greenpeace simply
needs to stage an event in Korea as a prelude to the summer meeting of the International Whaling Commission in Korea. It's a good media
ploy to capture the local angle of the event. It guarantees good local coverage and this will translate into international coverage because
of the international media that will be attending the IWC conference. Right now whales are being killed in Northern Norway while the
Greenpeace ship Esperanza is collecting water samples. Right now, no whales are being killed in Korea yet Greenpeace is in a confrontation
with Koreans to oppose plans to kill them in the future. In Norway whaling is a distraction for Greenpeace. In Korea it is a priority. Just
who is it at Greenpeace International that decides these priorities? One thing for sure is that when it comes to whaling, some nations are
more tolerated than others by Greenpeace.


(Parent  Article)

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Re: Eurocentric Greenpeace Campaign Against Whaling
by Anonymous on 18 May 2005 @ 09:10 PM
Dear Captain Watson:

You wrote:

"In Korea it is a priority. Just who is it at Greenpeace International that decides these priorities?"

Your question is timely. We've called here numerous times for transparency of the process for setting theatre and campaign priorities and the question is ignored in the fashion of a Bush press conference.

This attitude is identical to very same corruption that Greenpeace and other NGOs oppose elsewhere.

There are many GP actions around the world this week.

1. GP activists who invaded a Land Rover Factory are out on bail.

2. Spain is sending Captain Rizzotti off to jail.

3. Greenpeace has opened a “Peace Embassy” in the Incirlik area of Adana, Turkey to publicize their finding that the US has nuclear weapons at the Incirlik Airbase.

4. Greenpeace activists paint cracks on a Dutch nuclear power plant at Borssele.
Gerd Leipold?
by Anonymous on 18 May 2005 @ 10:49 PM
"Just who is it at Greenpeace International that decides these priorities?"

Gerd Leipold?
Re: Eurocentric Greenpeace Campaign Against Whaling
by Ann Novek on 19 May 2005 @ 05:25 PM
Hello again Paul,
Maybe we have been through this discussion earlier, and I certainly isn't the right person to comment your posts here, I'm not as eloquent as you are, and my English is every teachers nightmare!

I think I am a very passionate anti whaling person, and my whole family has always hated whaling. Hell, even my brother, who is a doctor, and has been working in whaling and fishing communities in Northern Norway, hates whaling!

But as a Scandinavian, I don't think sinking whaling boats is the right method to stop whaling, even if I sure like to see them sunk!!!

I think in this case sinking a whaling boat could only anger Norwegians who could actually be anti whaling persons.

So what to do , besides sinking whaling boats and use GP inflatables?

Does the international anti whaling community really understand the local problems how it is for GP to work in Northern Norway?

This recent Esperanza tour in the Lofotens wasn't an anti whaling tour! Please, remember this.

GP Norway was working for the bigger picture, trying to save all oceans and its creatures. Hell, if the oceans die , the whales die!

Back again to the issue what to do?

IMO, we should really target the tourist industry more than we do today! The tourist industry in Norway isn't very developed, and it has great potential according to the Norwegian Tourist Board, "INNOVASJON NORGE". It probably has more potential than the Icelandic tourist industry.

AND, the right moment to target the tourist industry is in this year.

Why?

Because this year Norway is celebrating its 100th anniversary as a sovereign nation, and its tourist industry is working very hard to actively recruit more tourists.

Ann

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