No wins for Japan, but whales still losing
24 Jun 2005
Ulsan, Republic of Korea - Yet again, five days of gridlock and political posturing have stymied the IWC, achieved very little for conservation and been unable to halt the advance of Japan's so called "scientific whaling," said WWF, the global conservation organisation.
Despite Japan's defeat on three major votes, it has announced it will expand its whaling in Antarctica and take 50 endangered fin whales, 50 humpbacks and double its quota of minke whales to 850.
"Despite cheers by some, and rhetoric in the media, this is no great cause for celebration," said Dr. Susan Lieberman, Director of WWF's global species program.
"Japan continues to do as it wishes in the name of bogus science and the world stands by and applauds. It is time to reform the IWC."
Japan stated in plenary it will win a vote of support for its science next year. This is clearly a sign it will continue to recruit new countries to vote with it. This year, the number of countries that voted for conservation was neck and neck with the pro whaling bloc. Swing votes on key issues, or further abstentions, would have given the pro whaling bloc the majority.
Japan tried to abolish the Southern Ocean whale sanctuary, but was defeated. Brazil, Argentina, and South Africa tried to establish a South Atlantic Sanctuary, which was then defeated by the pro-whaling bloc.
Should Japan and its allies finally achieve the majority, there are clear signals that next year they will abolish the conservation committee tasked with looking at ship strikes, bycatch (incidental catch in fisheries nets) and other threats, including climate change. They would also strike whale watching, sanctuaries and environmental and health issues from the agenda.
This year, a decision was taken dealing with the critically endangered West Pacific gray whale, which is threatened by oil and gas development off of Sakhalin Island in the Russian Far East. The threat of bycatch to the vulnerable population of minke whales off the coast of Korea and Japan was also addressed, as was the issue of seriously contaminated gray whales in the Russian Arctic.
Other agenda items included the "RMS" - the revised management scheme, or rules governing commercial whaling, should it resume. Japan's flawed proposal draft proposal was convincingly rejected. However, the IWC agreed to continue talks on this issue before the next meeting.
WWF welcomes a recommendation from several governments to reform the IWC in the near future, including a possible high level ministerial or diplomatic level conference on key IWC issues.
"We call on the governments of the world who are committed to conservation to help strengthen and reform this institution. We are hopeful that a diplomatic negotiating conference could finally close the scientific whaling loophole, address other key conservation issues and catapult a treaty that was negotiated in 1946 into the 21st century," said Dr Lieberman.
For further information
Andy Ridley, WWF-Australia National Communications Manager
Mob: 0415 865 992
