Whales are currently slaughtered by a highly illegal Japaese operation. The regulations and the moratorium of the International Whaling Commission, the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary, the Antarctic Treaty territory and the Australian Antarctic Territory is being violated. The rules of the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) are being violated, too.

Up to now the violations are tolerated by those countries voting in the IWC for the protection of whales. They are all EU-countries and among others Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the USA. The two European pirate whaling countries, Norway and Iceland, are not members of the EU.

Starting from Jan. 1, Austria has taken over the presidency in the EU. Send protests against the inactivity of the EU to the Austrian minister of foreign affairs, Ursula Plassnik and the chancellor. Demand an official protest from Austria against illegal whaling of Japan.

If you live in a country that supports a ban on whaling an obvious contact is your embassy in Vienna. The embassy could coordinate a joint effort of the EU and your country.

SITUATION IN ANTARCTICA

Three ships of the two organizations Greenpeace and Sea Shepherd take direct action in the Antarctica against Japanese whalers. For recent informations view the following homepages or read Australian newspapers.
www.seashepherd.org
www.greenpeace.org
melbourne.indymedia.org

THE AUSTRIAN GOVERNMENT

All numbers are indicated for international contact. Inside Austria you have to delete the international code 0043, add a zero; 0043 1 531 15 0 turns to 01 531 15 0, inside Vienna ignore the 01. From most countries +43 is synonymous with dialling 0043.

Federal Chancellor Wolfgang Schüssel
Bundeskanzleramt
Ballhausplatz 2
1010 Wien
T: 0043 1 53115 0
F: 0043 1 53115 2209
 wolfgang.schuessel@bka.gv.at

Foreign Minister
Ursula Plassnik
Bundesministerium für auswärtige Angelegenheiten
Minoritenplatz 8
1014 Wien
T: 0043 5 01150 0
F: 0043 5 01159 0
 kabbm@bmaa.gv.at

Aditionally you can contact the embassy of Austria in your country. It is recommended to send a copy of your message to the minister or chancellor to the embassy. Here are some embassies of Austria.
If yours is not listed:  http://www.bmaa.gv.at/view.php3?r_id=204&LNG=de&version=

EMBASSIES of Austria

Australia
12 Talbot Street, Forrest, ACT 2603
P.O.B. 3375, Manuka, ACT 2603
Tel: (+61/2) 6295 1533 and (+61/2) 6295 1376
Fax: (+61/2) 6239 6751
E-Mail:  canberra-ob@bmaa.gv.at
Internet: www.austriaemb.org.au

Germany
Stauffenbergstraße 1
10785 Berlin
Telefon: (+49/30) 202 870
Telefax: (+49/30) 229 05 69
E-Mail:  berlin-ob@bmaa.gv.at

Netherlands
van Alkemadelaan 342
2597 AS Den Haag
Postbus 96855, 2509 JG Den Haag
Telefon: (+31/70) 324 54 70
(+31/70) 324 54 71
(+31/70) 324 54 72
(+31/70) 328 21 32
Fax: (+31/70) 32 82 066
E-Mail:  den-haag-ob@bmaa.gv.at

UK
18, Belgrave Mews West
London SW1X 8HU
Telefon: (+44/20) 7235-3731
Telefax: (+44/20) 7344-0292
E-Mail:  london-ob@bmaa.gv.at

USA
3524 International Court N.W.
Washington D.C. 20008
Telefon: (+1/202) 895 67 00
Telefax: (+1/202) 895 67 50
E-Mail:  washington-ob@bmaa.gv.at

There are a lot of regional consulates in some countries to be contacted, too.

EMBASSIES OF COUNTRIES IN AUSTRIA

Maybe you want to urge the embassy of your country in Austria to launch a common initiative to enforce the ban on whaling. Here are some addresses of embassies. If yours is not listed here consult the homepage of your minister for foreign affairs or go to a search engine and enter "embassy vienna" and your country.

The name given is the name of the ambassador.

Deborah Stokes
Australia
Matiellistr. 2-4
1040 Wien
T: +43 1 50 674 112
F: +43 1 504 1178
 austemb@aon.at

Philippe Nieuwenhuys
Belgium
Wohllebeng. 6
1040 Wien
T: +43 1 502 070
F: +43 1 502 07 22
 Vienna@diplobel.be

Marie Gervais-Vidricaire
Canada
Laurenzergerg. 2
1010 Wien
T: +43 1 531 38 30000
F: +43 1 531 38 3321 or +43 1 531 38 3905
 vienn-gr@international.gc.ca

Mr. J.J. de Visser
Netherlands
Opernring 5
1010 Wien
T: +43 1 589 39
media contact: T: +43 1 589 39 215
F: +43 1 589 39 265
 nlgovwen@eunet.at

Hans-Henning Horstmann
Germany
Reisnerstr. 44
1030 Wien
T: 0043 1 711 54 0
F: 0043 1 713 83 66 und 715 34 50
 info@wien.diplo.de

Johann Bucher
Switzerland
Prinz Eugen Str. 7
1030 Wien
T: 0043 1 795 05 0
F: 0043 1 795 05 21
 vertretung@vie.rep.admin.ch

John Malcolm Macgregor
UK
Jauresgasse 12
1030 Wien
T: +43 1 716 130
F: +43 1 716 13 2999 and 2900
 press@britishembassy.at

USA
Boltzmanng. 16
1090 Wien
T: +43 1 313 390
Fax: (+43-1) 310 06 82
 embassy@usembassy.at

PROTEST DIRECTLY: JAPAN

Japanese Embassy in Vienna
Heßgasse 6
1010 Wien
T: 0043 1 531 92 0
F: 0043 1 532 05 90
 info@embjapan.at
 info@embjp.at

FREE FAX SERVICE

You can use a free email-to-fax service to Austria. Go to www.denotos.de. It allows one short fax per hour.

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