We have had an impressive response of support for our campaign to fight
commercial whaling. We are writing everyone today with an urgent request
for support to continue our campaign.

America's Whale Alliance (AWA) was formed in response to the change in
United States Government policy in negotiating for the resumption of
commercial whaling. As an affiliate of the Global Whale Alliance (GWA), AWA
will focus its efforts on reversing this apparent policy change. By uniting
US-based conservation and animal welfare organizations we aim to fight any
political compromise that will see the resumption of the cruel, outdated and
unnecessary commercial slaughter of whales. AWA is actively opposing the
resumption of commercial whaling, but we need your help and there is little
time left.

With your help America's Whale Alliance will:

· Fight all proposals that will allow for the resumption of
commercial whaling
· Campaign for the existing whaling ban to be maintained and properly
enforced
· Unite US conservation, environmental and animal welfare groups, and
the public, in order to help save and strengthen the commercial whaling ban

AWA will play a leading role in:

Opposing any plan to legitimize the resumption of commercial whaling
· Calling for the existing ban to be enforced with political and
economic sanctions using US fisheries laws.
· Persuading the US Government to actively support research into the
environmental threats to whales and oppose any lifting of the whaling ban
Highlighting the unacceptable cruelty of whaling
Ending abuses of the IWC Convention such as the ongoing killing of hundreds
of whales for so-called 'scientific research'
· Demanding international protection for the smaller whale and
dolphin species that are being hunted and killed by the tens of thousands
each year

Campaign activities:

The AWA aims to provide a fresh impetus to the anti-whaling movement in the
United States and so prevent the Government compromising over the resumption
of commercial whaling. We currently have over 75 organizations signed on to
our statement opposing the US position on the resumption of commercial
whaling. We aim to implement a national campaign strategy to help end
commercial whaling once and for all. The global anti-whaling campaign is at
a critical juncture, with the commercial whaling ban in imminent danger of
collapse. Much needs to be done before, during and after this year's IWC
meeting in South Korea to avert a certain disaster for whale conservation
efforts.

AWA plans to promote our campaign for the US to save the whales by
distributing campaign flyers and postcards (directed to the government) via
direct mail, whale-watch operators, AWA member groups and at the 'Land Air
Water Environmental Law Conference' at the University of Oregon. We are also
planning a west coast campaign tour from San Diego California to Seattle
Washington. AWA has purchased a 1990 municipal bus and we need funds to
refurbish it as a travelling exhibition and we need funds to repaint the
outside with whales, our website address and the logos of supporting
organizations that contribute to the tour. We will also need funding for
fuel. We hope to run the entire tour using biodiesel.

We have already provided extensive background information to all members of
the US Senate and House of Representatives. We have been invited to
Washington DC to meet with key members of congress to brief them on the
critical situation regarding commercial whaling.

We are in critical need of donations if we are going to accomplish the goals
outlined above. We plan to start our west coast tour in early April to
coincide with the gray whale migration, so your urgent response it
requested.

We also need to fly to Washington D.C. to meet with members of Congress. We
need to attend IWC to lobby against the RMS. America's Whale Alliance is
leading the fight on this issue. Please help us to help the whales. We are
all volunteers, no one receives a salary or compensation for this work. We
guarantee that 100% of donations will go directly to anti-RMS and
anti-commercial whaling activities. All donations are tax deductible and
should be made payable to:

ODI/America's Whale Alliance
P.O. Box 3040
Ashland, OR 97520

Our tax ID number is: 93-1306628

Thank you for your support. Should you have any questions feel free to
contact us.

Tami Drake
on behalf of America's Whale Alliance
www.americaswhalealliance.org

Ocean Defense International
(541) 482-1200
www.oceandefense.org