Date: 19-Aug-04
Country: RUSSIA
Author: Maria Golovnina
The International Whaling Commission passed a motion last month saying energy exploration could kill off the 100 or so remaining grey whales on the oil-rich shelf near Russia’s Pacific coast and asked for some surveys to stop.
Sakhalin Energy Investment Company Ltd., operator of the multi-billion dollar Sakhalin-2 project, described its monitoring plan as “the most comprehensive and largest whale project funded solely by industry for whales anywhere in the world.”
“The objectives of the Western Grey Whale behaviour study are to ascertain baseline feeding and other behaviours, and behaviours potentially affected by industrial activities,” it said in a statement.
The remaining whales – who appear near Sakhalin Island in summer and withdraw to deeper waters in winter – can only feed from the sea bed.
That restricts their feeding ground to within a few kilometres (miles) from the Sakhalin coast – the area where an underwater pipeline is due to be laid.
Ecologists said the planned study was not enough to ensure the survival of the species. “That’s not enough. Research work cannot automatically protect whales,” said Ivan Blokov of Greenpeace in Moscow.
“Whales are not going to be better off because human beings get to know more about them. First of all, we think that drilling and other operations need to be moved elsewhere.”
The Sakhalin venture, which includes Japan’s Mitsui & Co. Ltd. and Mitsubishi Corp (8058.T: Quote, Profile, Research) , says much of the knowledge about the rare mammals is the result of their research and monitoring programmes conducted in the Pacific since 1997. It has spent $5 million on whale projects since the late 1990s.
It plans to build a seabed pipeline as well an offshore platform near Sakhalin Island. Shell also plans to build the world’s biggest liquefied natural gas plant there by 2006 and start gas shipments in 2007.
Sakhalin Energy said its programme includes acoustic monitoring work, seabed studies and whale behaviour surveys.
“At least 10 new calves were identified in 2003,” it said. “While this is the highest number of calves recorded since the studies began, it is not expected again this year as these whales give birth on average once every three years…
“The birth of so many calves last year is encouraging.”
This website and sisters royaldutchshellplc.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.
Royal Dutch Shell conspired directly with Hitler, financed the Nazi Party, was anti-Semitic and sold out its own Dutch Jewish employees to the Nazis. Shell had a close relationship with the Nazis during and after the reign of Sir Henri Deterding, an ardent Nazi, and the founder and decades long leader of the Royal Dutch Shell Group. His burial ceremony, which had all the trappings of a state funeral, was held at his private estate in Mecklenburg, Germany. The spectacle (photographs below) included a funeral procession led by a horse drawn funeral hearse with senior Nazis officials and senior Royal Dutch Shell directors in attendance, Nazi salutes at the graveside, swastika banners on display and wreaths and personal tributes from Adolf Hitler and Reichsmarschall, Hermann Goring. Deterding was an honored associate and supporter of Hitler and a personal friend of Goring.
Deterding was the guest of Hitler during a four day summit meeting at Berchtesgaden. Sir Henri and Hitler both had ambitions on Russian oil fields. Only an honored personal guest would be rewarded with a private four day meeting at Hitler’s mountain top retreat.
IN JULY 2007, MR BILL CAMPBELL (ABOVE, A RETIRED GROUP AUDITOR OF SHELL INTERNATIONAL SENT AN EMAIL TO EVERY UK MP AND MEMBER OF THE HOUSE OF LORDS: 
MORE DETAILS:
A head-cut image of Alfred Donovan (now deceased) appears courtesy of The Wall Street Journal.
