It’s been another busy week for whales in the news. First was a diplomatic visit by Australian Foreign Minister Stephan Smith to his Japanese counterpart, Mr. Masahiko Komura. The meetings purpose was to discuss Australia’s strong objection to Japan’s whaling, however the meeting concluded with the two diplomats simply ‘agreeing to disagree’. Coincidently this meeting occurred while the Pew Charitable Trust convened a workshop aimed at resolving the ongoing debate between pro-whaling nations, and conservation minded nations which strongly object to whaling. The meeting, titled A Change In Climate For Whales had over 100 participants among 28 nationalities. Judge Tuiloma Neroni Slade, former Presiding Judge of the International Criminal Court and previously Ambassador of Samoa to the United Nations, chaired the meeting, which brought together government officials, environmentalists, scientists and others from around the world. We anxiously await the outcome of the symposium and hope that it brings the protection from harpoons greatly needed.