Brecon and Radnorshire MP Roger Williams strikes a 'whale tail' pose for whales and urges constituents to do the same

10.37.57am GMT Mon 2nd Feb 2009

Brecon and Radnorshire MP Roger Williams has shown his support for whales by striking a 'whale tail' pose with the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW).

Mr. Williams is taking part in IFAW's 'Tails for Whales' photo art project, which has been launched to raise awareness of the need for greater whale protection. IFAW is encouraging people from all walks of life to be photographed making the whale tail hands symbol. Model and presenter Twiggy and comedienne Jo Brand are among celebrities taking part and this week more than 70 MPs also struck a whale tail pose for whales.

IFAW works year-round to protect whales from the many threats they face including whaling, ship strikes, entanglement in fishing gear, pollution, climate change and man-made ocean noise.

Robbie Marsland, Director of IFAW UK, said: "We are very grateful to Roger Williams for showing their support for whales. IFAW opposes commercial or so-called 'scientific' whaling because it is cruel and unnecessary and we believe these magnificent and intelligent creatures should be protected for future generations to enjoy. Support for this project demonstrates that many people feel the same."

Roger Williams MP said: "I am pleased to be taking part in 'Tails for Whales'. Whales face more threats today than ever before and this project sends out a positive message that we should all be working to protect them. I encourage my constituents to take part by submitting their photos for inclusion."

Notes:

Whale tail images can be uploaded to the website www.tailsforwhales.org (JPEG format, minimum 1024x768pix). Please take part and email your friends and family asking them to do the same.

The aim is to collect as many of these positive images as possible on the website, particularly in the run-up to the next meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) in June 2009, to urge all member countries to use their votes for whale conservation, rather than allowing any attempts to weaken or overturn the worldwide ban on commercial whaling.

For more information and photographs or to arrange interviews please contact Clare Sterling in the IFAW Press Office on 020 7587 6708, mobile 07917 507717, email csterling@ifaw.org or alternatively visit www.ifaw.org

Despite a worldwide ban on commercial whaling coming into effect in 1986, more than 30,000 whales have been killed for commercial reasons since that time.

Japan hunts whales under a loophole for so-called "scientific" whaling, which IFAW believes is really commercial whaling by another name. Iceland has killed whales both commercially and under the "scientific" clause and Norway has continued to hunt commercially under an objection to the ban.

Japanese whalers are currently hunting almost 1,000 whales in the Southern Ocean Sanctuary, Antarctica.