Green Party Call for a stop to Whaling
Tuesday 11th of January 2011, small crowds gather at a Green Party stall in Cuba Mall Wellington in demonstration
against Japanese whaling in the South Seas.
Click for big version
The Cuba Mall stall represents the first of many which will be opened throughout New Zealand by Green Party MP Gareth
Hughes. “Numerous towns and cities throughout New Zealand have a sister city relationship with a Japanese city.”
The Green Party asked passersby to sign letters and then fold the letters into origami whales addressed to Wellington’s
Japanese sister city, Sakai. The demonstration appeared to be popular with children and journalists and came only a day
after the crew of Sea Sheppard were criticised by Japanese officials for throwing missiles at a research vessel.
Click for big version
Whales face a number of threats including climate change, marine pollution, by-catch, and poorly regulated whale
watching industries, however, the number one threat to whales in the Southern Ocean is continued commercial whaling by
Japan. It was thought that Wellington was a good place to begin the tour because Wellingtonians love whales, and many
hope they will once again become regular visitors to our harbour.
Click for big version
All of the oragami whales are to be sent to Wellington's Japanese sister city Sakai, Japan, to invite our Japanese
friends to help stop their government from killing our friends of the deep.
ENDs