Around 3pm we started gathering at the entrance of the Japanese Embassy in Lisbon, after passing it a couple of times without noticing it was it.
14 of February is the day the world celebrates as the day of love, we had flowers and a message to the Japanese Ambassador in Lisbon, but this action was to be reproduced in another 27 different countries, an initiative started by Greenpeace.
By 3:40pm we decided to go in, we were a small group of 7 people, there were cameras and journalists to cover the event and we headed to the reception and ask to deliver the flowers to Hara Satoshi the Japanese Ambassador. A member of staff came down to inform us that the Ambassador was currently in Japan, so we asked to talk with another representative. We were told to wait, while we were waiting some interviews for the press were made, some more waiting and finally the member of staff came back saying 2 people were allowed to go up, but media wouldn’t be allowed.
So 2 of us gone up and were cordially received by 2 Japanese Delegates. We had then the change to tell them why we were there, to demystify and put a final mark on the theme that whaling in some like western vs Japan, it is not, and to ask them to leave the Southern Ocean to the Whales, by saying that Killing whales in an Protected Area is like chopping down tress at a National Park. In addition we asked Japan to withdraw their proposal to host the IWC meeting in 2009, since Portugal proposed first, never organized any IWC meeting since it joined and Japan did it twice during the last decade. It will be important for the conservation movement and Portugal to host a very successful meeting without have to go through competition that would potentially divide the commission itself and jeopardize its outcome.
That was it. The Portuguese leg of the initiative was completed.
Later at home I open my mail to be shocked by the fact that Nisshin Maru was on fire. Apparently there is a missing person, and the thing doesn’t look good…
I truly hope they are sound and safe.
There is the risk of oil spill what would result in a major environmental catastrophe for the pristine area that is the Antarctic. Like Erik Blanc sustained “This news demonstrates the whole tragic nature of Japanese Southern Ocean whaling.” True enough. Apparently there are only a couple of good weather days ahead, after no one knows what can happen…
I truly hope all Nisshin Maru crew is safe and sound.