The Launch of the Website and Campaign

Metiria Turei, the Green Party spokesperson for conservation hosted our launch at the Parliament on the 1st of October. The event was started with a traditional Māori blessing, this was followed by speeches from Don Richards, Adrian Tangaroa Wagner and Lindsay Gault. Adrian talked at length about Māori spiritual connection with the whales and Lindsay talked about his surreal experience of diving with a Southern Right Whale.

We also had the children of the Plimmerton School reciting the Poems that they had written as part of their school Project. In addition there were impromptu contributions from the children of Otari School in Wilton who had done a banner on their own about Whales being associated with people of all cultures, and Alexandra Bond who recited her poems that she had written down. The theme of the message from the children was they cannot understand why people want to kill the whales and they want to have the privilege of enjoying the beautiful creatures in our own backyard.

One of the highlights of the event was the video done by Lindsay Gault who had the privilege of diving in close proximity of a Southern Right Whale that visited Island Bay, Wellington.The video was a moving experience of a Gentle Giant in our midst.

Don concluded the event with a call to action of all who attended wanting them to provide us with their assistance and ideas on how to spread the message of conservation to Japan. The focus of our group is to get Japan stop whaling in the Southern Ocean which is our own backyard.

Media coverage of the launch can be found on the Dominion Post.

Please click on the link to view the official invite that was sent to the attendees.

The launch of the website was featured in the Māori News Program Te Karere and was aired on TV ONE.