7 June
2006 - The Australian Minister for the Environment
and Heritage, Senator Ian Campbell, congratulated
Australia Post and WWF for a new collection of
whales stamps launched this week.
The Whales Down Under collection
features four species found in Australian waters
– humpback whale, blue whale, fin whale and the
southern bottlenose whale.
“Australians are long time supporters
of whales and initiatives like these stamps help
to raise awareness and reinforce our commitment
to saving our whales,” Senator Campbell said.
Whales in Australian waters
are protected under the Environment Protection
and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act).
The release of the collection
marks the start of the whale watching season and
coincides with the lead up to the crucial meeting
of the International Whaling Commission (IWC)
on June 16. Senator Campbell will lead the Australian
delegation to the IWC meeting in St Kitts in the
Caribbean.
“The Australian Government is
completely opposed to all forms of commercial
and scientific whaling. Whaling for so-called
‘scientific’ purposes is unnecessary, inhumane
and cruel and we are working with other pro-conservation
countries at the IWC to ensure commercial and
scientific whaling stops,” Senator Campbell said.
“Whales should be celebrated,
not slaughtered, and whale watching is a great
way to enjoy whales without harming them,” he
said.
There are a number of things
you can do to help whales:
watch out for whales when out
in the water and report sightings at www.deh.gov.au/whales
– this helps with research into whales numbers,
distribution and behaviour
report strandings to your local state or territory
environment agency – lists can be found at www.deh.gov.au/whales
don’t litter when out in the water – rubbish such
as plastic bags and fishing line can be deadly
to marine creatures
visit www.saveourwhales.gov.au for information
about whale protection, material for kids and
teachers, and to order a wristband
“Australia is leading the way in whale research
– developing techniques that do not harm whales
it is important for us to learn more about these
beautiful creatures and support the international
ban on whaling,” Senator Campbell said.
Whales Down Under stamps will
be available in all Australia Post outlets from
6 June 2006.
To learn more about Whales
and the Australian Government’s commitment to
marine conservation, visit www.deh.gov.au/whales
