28 January 2009 - Greenpeace says leaders from New Zealand, the United States, Australia and other International Whaling Commission members must listen to their people and reject proposals that could see whaling increase.

The call comes amid revelations of United States involvement in behind-the-scenes negotiations that could see increased whaling off the coast of Japan in returned for a marginal drop in the so-called "scientific" quota [1] of whales hunted in the South Ocean Whale Sanctuary - a move which would not benefit whale conservation and could put additional populations at risk. [2]

New Zealand is also a member of the small working group that has been meeting to discuss a way forward for the International Whaling Commission.

Greenpeace New Zealand oceans campaigner Karli Thomas says that all leaders - whether they come from New Zealand, the United States or Japan - should be working towards ending whaling, not entrenching it.

"The governments of New Zealand and Australia can be in no doubt about public opposition in their countries to whaling, and President Obama has also been clear in his views on whaling prior to his election," she said.

It was revealed overnight that just days after the inauguration of new US president Barack Obama, appointees from the out-going Bush administration still in place are already attempting to undermine Obama's foreign policy on whaling.

According to news reports [3] out of Hawaii, the US Commissioner of the International Whaling Commission, Dr Doug DeMaster, and the US Chair of the IWC, Dr William Hogarth, took part in closed-door negotiations with Japan over the weekend.

Greenpeace understands that Mr Obama did not anticipate whaling being a priority at this early stage of his term, but his position on the campaign trail was unequivocal.

Before last November's election, Greenpeace USA asked Mr Obama: "If you are elected president, what concrete steps will you take to convince Japan to stop whaling?"

He replied: "As president, I will ensure that the US provides leadership in enforcing international wildlife protection agreements, including strengthening the international moratorium on commercial whaling. Allowing Japan to continue commercial whaling is unacceptable." [4]

Greenpeace International whales campaign co-ordinator Sarah Holden said that Mr Obama's words on climate change and other environmental issues since his inauguration on January 20 have been welcome.

"We realise that whales were never going to be on the agenda in his first week, but the worrying news reports from Hawaii means that these issues needs to be addressed sooner rather than later," she said.

Greenpeace is calling on President Obama to take just a few minutes to end this potentially damaging negotiation, by ensuring a new IWC Commissioner is appointed with experience in high-level international negotiations to ensure the US position in these negotiations matches the agenda of the Obama Administration and the American people.

Earlier this week, Greenpeace opened a public communications centre in Japan, where it will talk to Japanese people about environmental issues, including Japanese government's whaling programme. The centre is in the northern fishing town of Aomori, where Greenpeace activists Junichi Sato and Toru Suzuki - the "Tokyo Two" - are due to be tried after they intercepted whale meat stolen by crew of the Japanese whaling factory ship Nisshin Maru. [5]

*Greenpeace is an independent, global campaigning organisation that acts to change attitudes and behaviour, to protect and conserve the environment, and to promote peace.*