Whales can breath relatively safe air this week, with South Korea signalling a possible backdown on its decision to carry out so-called scientific whaling.

South Korea announced its intentions on July 5 to hunt whales under a loophole in the 1986 moratorium on whaling which allows the killing of whales for scientific research.

South Korea was set to follow Japan, who has long given “scientific whaling” as a reason for its program despite whales making its way to dinner tables

But on Thursday a senior official at the country’s Fisheries Ministry said “we may not conduct whaling for scientific research if there is another way to achieve the goal.”

2SER’s Amy Rathbone speaks to the director of the Southern Cross University Whale Research Centre, Professor Peter Harrison.

He says lethal whaling is not required for science, highlighting the absence of useful scientific findings despite Japan’s long-term “scientific whaling”

South Korea looks at scrapping whaling plans

A farmers’ conference talking about apps, tweets and hash tags is far from accepted stereotypes about working on the land.

The Partners in Grain Tech Expo is pushing for farmers to take on digital technology or risk widening the divide between rural and urban communities.

A growing number of farmers have got the message and are taking to Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and blogs to connect with consumers and have their say.

2ser's Amy Rathbone reports.

Farmers jump on social media

News coverage and social media are having a field day predicting Australian gold only to tear the athletes down when they don’t live up to the hype.

Nowhere has this been seen more than in the pool, where Olympians Emily Seebohm and James Magnussen were left “shattered” having achieved only second best in their main events.

Michael Mullins coached James Magnussen in Port Macquarie for ten years until he was picked up as an Olympic hopeful in 2010.

He spoke to 2SER’s Amy Rathbone about the hard work athletes put into Olympic sport only to have it compromised by the media and public’s great expectations.

Olympic athletes hard done by Australia’s great expectations

Farmers from non-English speaking backgrounds don’t have access to the government resources needed to safely use pesticides, according to a University of Technology, Sydney (UTS) study. 

Poor chemical-use is polluting the Hawkesbury-Nepean River, which supplies drinking water and is used for agriculture, fisheries and recreation. 

But the study argues there’s an attitude of “fatalism” towards farming on the urban fringe.

As a result funding bilingual resources and extension officers is not a government priority.

Amy Rathbone reports.

Non-English speaking farmers struggle for representation

September’s a big month for suicide prevention, and one home-grown program is providing support where it’s needed most – in rural Australia. 

People living outside our major cities are sixty-six per cent more likely to die from suicide according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. 

The efforts of the Community Response to Eliminating Suicide program are picking up steam to confront the issue.

The program’s leaders are training medicine students and community members in twenty-four rural communities across Australia.

Home-grown program providing suicide support in rural communities

The government isn’t providing the resources farmers from non-English speaking backgrounds need to safely use pesticides, according to a University of Technology, Sydney (UTS) study. 

Organising bilingual resources and extension officers isn’t a government priority.

But poor chemical-use has the potential to pollute the Hawkesbury-Nepean River, which supplies Sydney with drinking water, food and a place for recreation. 

Amy Rathbone reports.

Farmers' chemical use lost in translation

There’s a growing domestic and international interest in eco tourism, especially in our national parks.

And Victoria is now the last Australian state to catch on.

The State Government decided to open parks to private development in August.

But their plans are causing rancor among critics who say our national parks will be loved to death.  

Amy Rathbone has the story:


Oz national parks opened to development

There’s a growing domestic and international interest in eco tourism, especially in our national parks.

But plans to open up national parks to development are causing rancor among critics who say our parks will be loved to death.

Amy Rathbone has the story.


Oz parks opened to development

The NSW Government has defended the development of additional coal mines in the Hunter Valley as a report reveals potential health risks for local communities. 

Margot Kelly reports.

Margot's radio story

The NSW Government has defended the development of additional coal mines in the Hunter Valley as a report reveals potential health risks for local communities.

Margot Kelly reports.

AmyRathbone