PENDLE MP Gordon Prentice has adopted a humpback whale to show his opposition to Japanese whaling.
The MP accepted an invitation from the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), to adopt humpback whale, Bluebell, to demonstrate his support for the group's efforts to protect this species.
Mr Prentice said that the animal was now being targeted by Japan's whaling fleet in an internationally recognised whale sanctuary in the Southern Ocean.
He said: "This is the first time in decades that humpback whales have been targeted by whalers. Humpbacks were one of the first species to be protected by the International Whaling Commission and remained threatened with extinction today.
"Japan claims its annual whale hunts are for scientific purposes, but little science has been produced. I am calling on the government to condemn Japan's whaling activities and increase diplomatic action on this issue."
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