(JP) No Whale Sanctuaries Approved

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http://ens-news.com/ens/may2002/2002L-05-21-03.html

 

No Whale Sanctuaries Approved

 

SHIMONOSEKI, Japan, May 21, 2002 (ENS) - Neither the

pro-whaling nations nor those against whaling gained

support for their issues today at the annual meeting

of the International Whaling Commission in this small

whaling town.

 

Two separate proposals to establish whale sanctuaries

did not succeed, nor did a proposal to allow coastal

whaling in Japan. Neither gained the required

three-quarters majority approval of the 48 member

International Whaling Commission (IWC). Three nations

are currently unable to vote as their membership dues

are in arrears.

 

A bid led by Australia and New Zealand to set up a

South Pacific Whale Sanctuary was defeated this

morning by a vote of 24 to 16, with five abstentions.

A Brazilian proposal to set up a South Atlantic Whale

Sanctuary was also rejected, by the same margin.

 

Japan's proposal that local Japanese communities be

allowed to catch 50 minke whales was defeated by a

vote 21 to 20, with three abstentions and one

absentee.

 

On Monday, the IWC member countries turned down a bid

from pro-whaling nation Iceland to rejoin the

commission because of Iceland's reservation against

the IWC ban on commercial whaling which has been in

effect since 1986.

 

Iceland Commissioner Stefan Asmundsson told the

delegates at the start of today's session, that

attempts not to recognize Iceland as a member of the

IWC convention are illegal.

 

" Iceland considers yesterday's proceedings totally

unacceptable, and therefore decided not to take part

further in this meeting, " Asmundsson said before

storming out of the conference hall. The country will

remain a nonvoting observer.

 

Iceland's rejection is a victory for whale

conservationists because Iceland's reinstatement could

have given the pro-whaling nations the majority needed

to discuss replacing the ban with a revised management

scheme.

 

Japan maintains there are too many whales in the sea

and that they compete with humans for dwindling fish

stocks.

 

The Japanese population is behind a resumption of

whaling, say Japanese officials. A survey conducted in

December 2001 by the Cabinet Office of the Government

of Japan showed more than 75 percent support for

whaling managed in a rational and sustainable way.

Masayuki Komatsu, Councillor at the Japan Fisheries

Agency said, “Whaling and whale meat are an integral

part of the culture of a number of locations in Japan.

It is therefore no surprise that the strong public

support for whaling shown in past surveys has been

reconfirmed.”

 

The Japan Ministry of Foreign Affairs says the

Japanese share the desire of conservationists to

" protect the endangered whale species. " Japan

" strongly supports " the international protection of

endangered whale species such as blue whales, the

ministry said.

 

As of 2001, Japan takes 540 minke whales, 50 Bryde's

whales, and 10 sperm whales each year. " This level of

sampling does not pose any risk to the current status

of whale stocks, " says the ministry.

 

The IWC Scientific Committee in 1990 estimated the

population of minke whales at 761,000 in the Antarctic

Ocean. In the western North Pacific Ocean, they have a

population of 25,000. Bryde's whales and sperm whales

have populations of 22,000 and 102,000 respectively.

 

Komatsu explained that last year, the IWC unanimously

adopted a resolution making the study of the

interaction between whales and fisheries a priority.

“This is exactly what our whale research programs are

doing. We are studying what whales eat, where and how

much.”

 

While the South Pacific and South Atlantic whale

sanctuaries were defeated at today’s meeting, a

country that usually votes with Japan in return for

overseas aid, voted against Japan and for the

sanctuaries.

 

St. Vincent and the Grenadines, the only Caribbean

country with a whaling quota, voted with its own voice

creating a break in the bloc of six eastern Carribean

states that generally votes with Japan.

 

Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St. Lucia, St.

Kitts and Nevis, and St. Vincents and the Grenadines

as a rule vote in line with Japan on every issue.

 

“While it’s inspiring to see support increasing, it is

sad that the Fisheries Agency of Japan’s vote buying

is still succeeding in blocking whale sanctuaries,”

says Greenpeace campaigner Vanessa Atkinson.

“Japan and its hired guns have just torpedoed an IWC

sanctuary in a region where support for it is

overwhelming,” said Mick McIntyre, Asia Pacific of International Fund for Animal Welfare.

“But we’re delighted to see a majority of IWC

countries - more than ever before – voting in favor of

the South Pacific Sanctuary. Today’s outcome only

delays the inevitable. The wishes of the good people

of the South Pacific region will not be denied.”

 

Japan has denied that it buys the votes of smaller

countries, while acknowledging that it provides them

with overseas aid.

 

After their proposal was voted down, Australian

Environment Minister David Kemp and New Zealand

Conservation Minister Sandra Lee told a news

conference they will reintroduce their sanctuary

proposal again next year.

 

The economic future of South Pacific countries " lies

in whale watching rather than killing whales for the

benefit of a small number of people, " Kemp said.

 

© Environment News Service (ENS) 2002. All Rights

Reserved.

 

 

 

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