Guest guest Posted June 19, 2006 Report Share Posted June 19, 2006 Small Nations Lead Vote to Resume Commercial Whaling 2006-06-19 AP (South Korean activists hold a protest with a 15 meter-long (49 feet) actual size model of a Minke whale in front of the Japanese embassy in Seoul in 2005, in a rally against Japan's whaling fleet in Antarctica to kill Minke whales. Pro-whaling nations secured their first victory at world whaling talks by passing a resolution that labelled the 20-year moratorium on commercial hunts " no longer necessary. " Photo: AFP) A slim majority of nations on the International Whaling Commission joined a resolution Sunday supporting a resumption of commercial whaling, but pro-whaling nations still lack the 75 percent majority needed to overturn the world's 20-year ban. The resolution, approved by a vote of 33-32 with one abstention, declares that the moratorium on commercial whaling was meant to be temporary and is no longer needed. The IWC was thrown into chaos after the vote on the resolution authored by six Caribbean nations. It wasn't immediately clear what impact it would have because policy changes regarding hunting require a 75-percent majority, though observers said the vote signified a shift in the balance of power from those opposed to commercial whaling to supporters of the practice. Delegates from small Caribbean and African countries said the resolution was needed to force the IWC to take up its original mandate of managing whale hunts -- not banning them altogether. Caribbean leaders said a return to whaling would help them maintain food security by protecting fisheries from whales. " We're dealing with an ecosystem where whales are on top of the food chain, " added Daven Joseph, an IWC delegate from the Caribbean nation of St. Kitts and Nevis. Pro-whaling nations often argue that whales should be culled to protect fish stocks. " That's like blaming woodpeckers for deforestation, " said Vassili Papastavrou, a whale biologist for the International Fund for Animal Welfare. " The real issue is overfishing, not whales. " Hery Coulibaly, an IWC delegate from the African country of Mali, said his vote for responsible whaling is consistent with positions his nation takes on sustainable hunting at the United Nations and other international organizations. The resolution -- drafted by St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Grenada, Dominica and Antigua -- was signed by 30 mostly developing countries. Norway, Iceland, Japan and Russia have also signed it. Environmental groups have accused developing nations of voting with Japan in return for money for fisheries projects -- which Japan and those countries have repeatedly denied. Caribbean tourism officials have said they are concerned that their countries support of whaling might lead travelers to boycott the region. " Such threats are tantamount to economic terrorism, " said Joanne Massiah, Food Production and Marine Resources Minister for the Caribbean nation of Antigua and Barbuda. The five-day meeting of the International Whaling Commission runs through Tuesday in the Caribbean island of St. Kitts. http://en.chinabroadcast.cn/2947/2006/06/19/189 (AT) 103995 (DOT) htm __ On 7 Dating: It's free to join and check out our great singles! http://www.7.com.au/personals Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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