This is the letter your name will be added to, thank you:

Dear Commissioner,

For over 60 years, member nations of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) have argued over the fate of the oceans' whales. This year over 2500 great whales will be killed by Japan and Norway and the international ban on commercial whaling is under threat as never before.

I believe that a hunger to kill whales is being replaced by a hunger to understand and protect them in their natural environment. We are now more aware than ever of the threats whales face in the modern world, including climate change, noise and chemical pollution, fishing gear entanglements and ship strikes.

There is no doubt that whaling causes slow and painful deaths; struck by explosive harpoons whales can take over an hour to die. Whales need our continued protection from both cruelty and environmental threats: the worldwide whaling ban must remain in place.

At a time when the debate is so strongly focused on allocating quotas to those who kill whales, species such as the Chinese river dolphin have become extinct and more species are on the verge of a similar fate. The IWC must reassess its priorities: it should devote its time and resources to protecting these animals and encouraging a sustainable industry of whale watching, helping us to understand how these creatures live. The best insights into the lives of whales come from watching, not killing.

You and your fellow Commissioners have the power to decide the future for whales in the 21st century. Please use your voice at the 60th annual IWC meeting in June to reflect the overwhelming public opinion that it is time to refocus attention on whales, not whaling.

Yours sincerely,