Dear friend,
Ever since the public first rallied to Save the Whales in the 1970s, people around the world have counted on the government of the United States to be a leader in whale conservation efforts. News is now spreading that over the past few years, the U.S. has weakened its position and is leading an effort to allow increased whaling.
Whale populations have yet to fully recover from unregulated, large-scale whaling of the past and continued whaling by a few countries that have refused to stop. Now whales are facing even more threats, such as entanglement in commercial fishing gear, pollution, and global warming.
Documents made public earlier this week reveal a disturbing deal officials appointed by the Bush administration are attempting to make with Japan to legitimize and expand commercial whaling. They will be meeting in early March in an effort to push this compromise through. We must bring this issue to President Obama's attention before this important meeting. This is an abrupt shift in U.S. policy on whales and, if adopted, would mean a devastating blow to whale protection and conservation around the globe.
Please join us in telling President Obama that you care about whales and depend on the U.S. to protect them.
Then, ask your friends and family
Thank you for all that you do to help animals.
Sincerely,
Andrew Rowan
Chief Executive Officer
Humane Society International
