Solomons to host talks on dolphin trade
Solomons to host talks on dolphin trade
The Solomons Ministry for Environment, Conservation and Meteorology along with stakeholders and NGOs will meet on Thursday for talks on the capture and sale of Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins.
"The forum is part of its (Solomons government) continuing effort to ensure the export of Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin is sustainable and conducted in a transparent fashion," the Solomons government said in a statement.
"There has been so much media publicity on this issue by different interest groups in recent years.
"The forum offers the opportunity to present information about the efforts of the Ministry to everyone," a spokesman said.
The Solomons began selling bottlenose dolphins in 2003 and ever since there has been widespread opposition to the legality and sustainability of the trade, along with concerns for the captured animals' welfare.
Earlier this year, a luxurious Singapore resort came under fire for importing Solomons dolphins.
In 2007, 28 dolphins from the Solomons were sent to a resort in Dubai amid protests from environment groups.
The dolphin shipment was criticised by the Australian and New Zealand governments.
The two countries also protested a shipment of 28 Solomons dolphins to Mexico in 2004.
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roberta
Posts: 2773
Date Joined: 08/07/08
And we give the heaps of aid, to these people
cut all aid to the Solomons, sorry I'm not a tree hugger but this is disgusting
SPEWIE LEWIE .. Ginger Tablets Rock
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Ewan
Posts: 271
Date Joined: 15/05/06
Tree-huggers
Roberta – why aren’t you proud of your environmental concerns?
Why do people always feel the need to preface their concerns about the health and sustenance of our life-giving planet with “I’m not a tree-hugger, but…”?
In nearly every debate/discussion there is on ‘environmental’ issues, step 1 seems to be: marginalise you opponent, put them in a box and label them. In the case of people concerned about sustainability or social justice – they are called hippies, greenies, tree-huggers, as if they are being unrational drugged-out, free-loving beatniks from the 70’s. Perhaps they are just normal people who think the time has come to think beyond the economic bottom line? You can live without money, but you cant without a healthy environment.
Our environment – that is, everything that grows and the physical processes that govern that growth – keep us alive. You would think that, rather than marginalise the only group/s of people who stand up for ‘the environment’, it would be a central, mainstream part of any decision. In any debate about development/exploitation vs conservation/preservation, the only people who are not acting out of direct self-interest are the ‘tree-huggers’ – everyone else in the debate are working towards short-term financial or lifestyle goals.
The sooner that ‘tree-hugger’ thinking makes it into the mainstream, the better our planet will function for our kids and grandkids.
Examples where hippys have been right:
Anti-old growth forest logging – if it wasn’t for the hippies, we would still be woodchipping the native old growth forests in the SW in the name of jobs.
Anti-whaling – if it wasn’t for hippies, we would still be harpooning whales off Carnarvon and Albany and Augusta, instead of marvelling at them from boats
Anti-war - if it wasn’t for hippies, we would probably still be in Vietnam. If hippies were listened to more, we probably wouldn’t have taken part in killing 200,000 civilians in Iraq
Anti-nuclear proliferation - if it wasn’t for hippies, Australia would probably have the bomb
Climate change - if it wasn’t for hippies, we would be 20 years behind the 8-ball. Actually we probably already are – and hippies were talking about this 20 years ago.
Anti-driftnetting - if it wasn’t for hippies, Japan’s nets would still be pillaging the oceans.
Anti-longlining - if it wasn’t for hippies, there would be no fight to end this indiscriminant methodAnti-shark finning- if it wasn’t for hippies, there would be no fight to end this ecological stupidity – sharks keep the oceans ticking.
And so on…there is no shortage of topics. And in each one, it is/was hippys vs the world.
Here are some more issues that might be of concern to tree-huggers and non-tree-huggers alike, if the live export of 200 dolphins per year from Solomon Islands is of concern (and I absolutely agree that it is bad):
Australia trawl fisheries. Even with By-catch Exclusion Devices, hundreds of dolphins and turtles and other endangered species are killed every year, in Australia by Australians. They call it fishery ‘interactions’.
Not to mention by-catch and habitat destruction.Prawn trawling bycatch – between 3 and 15 times the weight of prawns is bycatch, which is discarded dead. UP TO 15 TIMES THE WEIGHT! Worth a thought when you buy your next kilo of prawns, that you are also killing the equivalent of a large fish to go with it.
I could go on, but wont…
I am a proud member of the Australian Marine Conservation Society, and also happen to be a keen fisherman, have been all my life and always will be. To me, conservation of the marine environment is vital to me being able to fish in it. People always call me a hippy or a tree-hugger, when I just think I am just applying common sense.
Why are people scared of sticking up for, and understanding the environment?
Cheers,
Ewan
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