News 

Olympic gold medallist Leisel Jones is urging the Australian Government to lead the world in speaking out about the cruelty of whaling as a means to permanently ending the practice.

The swimming star is the face of a new anti-whaling campaign by the World Society for the Protection of Animals, which believes the irrefutable fact that whaling is cruel is key to stopping the suffering once and for all.

“WSPA has scientifically-proven evidence there is no humane way to kill a whale, with some whales taking an hour or even more to die,” Leisel said. “The intense pain and distress caused by whaling is a fact that can’t be refuted by whaling nations, and it has been a powerful argument at recent International Whaling Commission meetings where decisions on protecting the world’s whales are made.

“That’s why we urge the Australian Government to recognise there is no humane way to kill a whale, and to lead the world in gaining international government recognition that whaling should be banned as it’s inherently cruel.”

Taking the message to the government

WSPA is collecting thousands of messages from Australians letting the Australian Government know they oppose whaling on welfare grounds. Leisel plans to personally deliver the messages to the government where she will discuss the importance of whale welfare to the global campaign to end whaling.

“Obviously being a swimmer I’m very passionate about marine life,” Leisel said. “I just love the way whales are so graceful and peaceful, and that’s why I’m so passionate about protecting them.

“The first step is for the Australian Government to recognise there’s simply no humane way to kill whales.”

Find out more and take action at www.wspa.org.au/whales

* WSPA’s scientific report Troubled Waters contains hard, dispassionate evidence why there is no humane way to kill a whale. This includes outdated weaponry developed in the 19th century, and the extreme difficulty of trying to strike a moving target on rolling seas.


<< Back to release articles