Guest guest Posted June 24, 2000 Report Share Posted June 24, 2000 (Sent earlier, but just in case you missed it or didn't take it in the first time....) London, June 12 AAP - The 14-year-old worldwide ban on commercial whaling could be lifted within two years and the trade in whalemeat resumed under proposals set to be debated at the meeting of the International Whaling Commission in Adelaide next month. Any lifting of the ban is likely to face opposition from the green movement, which takes credit for the 1986 moratorium, but supporters say any change will not necessarily result in increased whale deaths. Two members of the IWC - Japan and Norway - have continued to kill whales since 1986 and secretary of the commission Dr Ray Gambell today told BBC News Online the IWC was in danger of losing its credibility unless it signalled the end of the ban. Dr Gambell, a British whale biologist, plans to retire after the Adelaide meeting. Today, he stressed the lifting of the ban was only a possibility but said it made sense to bring whaling under the IWC's control. He also signalled the prospect of a resumption in international trade of whalemeat. ``Whaling is going on at a commercial level. It's outside IWC control,'' he said. ``I would think it much better that it was brought within international regulations and oversight. ``I think the commission will need to move forward on measures which would allow controlled whaling, otherwise it will lose credibility. ``If the commission cannot set its house in order, people will start to ask: 'Why do we need it at all?'' Japan says it kills whales for scientific research and its catch last year was more than 500 minke whales from the Atlantic and North Pacific. Norway does not accept the moratorium and plans to catch 655 minke whales from the North Atlantic this year. Scientists from the IWC meet in Adelaide from June 14 ahead of the IWC meeting next month. They will discuss the latest research into whale numbers and the impact of pollution on the whale population. Dr Gambell said he accepted many people would be horrified if the IWC gave the go ahead to restart commercial whaling. ``Some people think whales are such special animals that they shouldn't be hunted at all. But that's very much a question of different cultures,'' he said. ``The whale is a high-profile animal. It has become a symbol.'' Dr Gambell said recent major advances in killing technology meant whales were less likely to suffer. ``The time to death is very much improved, though there is still room for further improvement,'' he said. He dismissed the prospect of a major expansion in whaling across the world's oceans but said the IWC had to confront the challenge of sustainable use and suggested a resumption of trade in whalemeat and products was possible, using state-of-the-art DNA technology to determine the origin of imports. ``Commercial whaling is going to be a small-scale local activity, largely confined to coastal areas,'' he said. ``We have to look to managing the world in a proper way, because the number of people is going to continue to grow, there are going to be increasing pressures on living space and food availability. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= WID News - http://whales.magna.com.au/NEWS/FLASH.html Member of the World Alternate News Network(WANNet) The News You Just Don't Sea - http://sites.netscape.net/altnewsnet/ Whales in Danger - W.O.T.N. - http://whales.magna.com.au/home.html =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= ------ Tradiant is creating the premiere marketplace for shippers and ocean carriers to conduct the business of moving containerized freight online. Our comprehensive suite of online services saves time and money. Visit Tradiant today. www.tradiant.com http://click./1/5504/7/_/678160/_/961839014/ ------ Fair Use Notice: This document may contain copyrighted material the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owners. Copyright material may only be used for not-for-profit, educational use on the Web which constitutes a fair use of the material (ie. as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law). If you use copyright material for purposes that go beyond fair use, you must obtain permission from the owner. Post message: world-altnews-net Subscribe: world-altnews-net- Un: world-altnews-net- List owner: world-altnews-net-owner world-altnews-net list: /community/world-altnews-net WHALE BAN COULD BE LIFTED AT ADELAIDE MEETING London, June 12 AAP - The 14-year-old worldwide ban on commercial whaling could be lifted within two years and the trade in whalemeat resumed under proposals set to be debated at the meeting of the International Whaling Commission in Adelaide next month. Any lifting of the ban is likely to face opposition from the green movement, which takes credit for the 1986 moratorium, but supporters say any change will not necessarily result in increased whale deaths. Two members of the IWC - Japan and Norway - have continued to kill whales since 1986 and secretary of the commission Dr Ray Gambell today told BBC News Online the IWC was in danger of losing its credibility unless it signalled the end of the ban. Dr Gambell, a British whale biologist, plans to retire after the Adelaide meeting. Today, he stressed the lifting of the ban was only a possibility but said it made sense to bring whaling under the IWC's control. He also signalled the prospect of a resumption in international trade of whalemeat. ``Whaling is going on at a commercial level. It's outside IWC control,'' he said. ``I would think it much better that it was brought within international regulations and oversight. ``I think the commission will need to move forward on measures which would allow controlled whaling, otherwise it will lose credibility. ``If the commission cannot set its house in order, people will start to ask: 'Why do we need it at all?'' Japan says it kills whales for scientific research and its catch last year was more than 500 minke whales from the Atlantic and North Pacific. Norway does not accept the moratorium and plans to catch 655 minke whales from the North Atlantic this year. Scientists from the IWC meet in Adelaide from June 14 ahead of the IWC meeting next month. They will discuss the latest research into whale numbers and the impact of pollution on the whale population. Dr Gambell said he accepted many people would be horrified if the IWC gave the go ahead to restart commercial whaling. ``Some people think whales are such special animals that they shouldn't be hunted at all. But that's very much a question of different cultures,'' he said. ``The whale is a high-profile animal. It has become a symbol.'' Dr Gambell said recent major advances in killing technology meant whales were less likely to suffer. ``The time to death is very much improved, though there is still room for further improvement,'' he said. He dismissed the prospect of a major expansion in whaling across the world's oceans but said the IWC had to confront the challenge of sustainable use and suggested a resumption of trade in whalemeat and products was possible, using state-of-the-art DNA technology to determine the origin of imports. ``Commercial whaling is going to be a small-scale local activity, largely confined to coastal areas,'' he said. ``We have to look to managing the world in a proper way, because the number of people is going to continue to grow, there are going to be increasing pressures on living space and food availability. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= WID News - http://whales.magna.com.au/NEWS/FLASH.html Member of the World Alternate News Network(WANNet) The News You Just Don't Sea - http://sites.netscape.net/altnewsnet/ Whales in Danger - W.O.T.N. - http://whales.magna.com.au/home.html =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= ------ Tradiant is creating the premiere marketplace for shippers and ocean carriers to conduct the business of moving containerized freight online. Our comprehensive suite of online services saves time and money. Visit Tradiant today. www.tradiant.com http://click./1/5504/7/_/678160/_/961839014/ ------ Fair Use Notice: This document may contain copyrighted material the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owners. Copyright material may only be used for not-for-profit, educational use on the Web which constitutes a fair use of the material (ie. as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law). If you use copyright material for purposes that go beyond fair use, you must obtain permission from the owner. Post message: world-altnews-net Subscribe: world-altnews-net- Un: world-altnews-net- List owner: world-altnews-net-owner world-altnews-net list: /community/world-altnews-net WHALE BAN COULD BE LIFTED AT ADELAIDE MEETING London, June 12 AAP - The 14-year-old worldwide ban on commercial whaling could be lifted within two years and the trade in whalemeat resumed under proposals set to be debated at the meeting of the International Whaling Commission in Adelaide next month. Any lifting of the ban is likely to face opposition from the green movement, which takes credit for the 1986 moratorium, but supporters say any change will not necessarily result in increased whale deaths. Two members of the IWC - Japan and Norway - have continued to kill whales since 1986 and secretary of the commission Dr Ray Gambell today told BBC News Online the IWC was in danger of losing its credibility unless it signalled the end of the ban. Dr Gambell, a British whale biologist, plans to retire after the Adelaide meeting. Today, he stressed the lifting of the ban was only a possibility but said it made sense to bring whaling under the IWC's control. He also signalled the prospect of a resumption in international trade of whalemeat. ``Whaling is going on at a commercial level. It's outside IWC control,'' he said. ``I would think it much better that it was brought within international regulations and oversight. ``I think the commission will need to move forward on measures which would allow controlled whaling, otherwise it will lose credibility. ``If the commission cannot set its house in order, people will start to ask: 'Why do we need it at all?'' Japan says it kills whales for scientific research and its catch last year was more than 500 minke whales from the Atlantic and North Pacific. Norway does not accept the moratorium and plans to catch 655 minke whales from the North Atlantic this year. Scientists from the IWC meet in Adelaide from June 14 ahead of the IWC meeting next month. They will discuss the latest research into whale numbers and the impact of pollution on the whale population. Dr Gambell said he accepted many people would be horrified if the IWC gave the go ahead to restart commercial whaling. ``Some people think whales are such special animals that they shouldn't be hunted at all. But that's very much a question of different cultures,'' he said. ``The whale is a high-profile animal. It has become a symbol.'' Dr Gambell said recent major advances in killing technology meant whales were less likely to suffer. ``The time to death is very much improved, though there is still room for further improvement,'' he said. He dismissed the prospect of a major expansion in whaling across the world's oceans but said the IWC had to confront the challenge of sustainable use and suggested a resumption of trade in whalemeat and products was possible, using state-of-the-art DNA technology to determine the origin of imports. ``Commercial whaling is going to be a small-scale local activity, largely confined to coastal areas,'' he said. ``We have to look to managing the world in a proper way, because the number of people is going to continue to grow, there are going to be increasing pressures on living space and food availability. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= WID News - http://whales.magna.com.au/NEWS/FLASH.html Member of the World Alternate News Network(WANNet) The News You Just Don't Sea - http://sites.netscape.net/altnewsnet/ Whales in Danger - W.O.T.N. - http://whales.magna.com.au/home.html =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= ------ Tradiant is creating the premiere marketplace for shippers and ocean carriers to conduct the business of moving containerized freight online. Our comprehensive suite of online services saves time and money. Visit Tradiant today. www.tradiant.com http://click./1/5504/7/_/678160/_/961839014/ ------ Fair Use Notice: This document may contain copyrighted material the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owners. Copyright material may only be used for not-for-profit, educational use on the Web which constitutes a fair use of the material (ie. as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law). If you use copyright material for purposes that go beyond fair use, you must obtain permission from the owner. Post message: world-altnews-net Subscribe: world-altnews-net- Un: world-altnews-net- List owner: world-altnews-net-owner world-altnews-net list: /community/world-altnews-net Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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