The 56th meeting of the IWC (International Whaling Commission) is due to take place next week, 19th to the 22nd July in Sorrento, Italy.
Oceans in crisis
The oceans are in a very different state to when the IWC was formed in the 1940's to manage whale stocks . Whales, and other cetaceans, now face an array of threats; it is estimated that some 300,000 cetaceans die as a result of human activity each year. Most are innocent victims of unsustainable fisheries, and end up as bycatch in fishing nets, but they are also at risk from pollution, severely depleted fish stocks, the effects of climate change and even ship strikes.
Some species and populations, such as the North Atlantic right whale, the baiji, the vaquita and the Western Pacific population of gray whale, are likely to become extinct this century unless drastic action is taken to address the environmental threats responsible.
The IWC and the Conservation Committee
For the first time the IWC will have a Conservation Committee. First established last year in Berlin the Committee could herald a brand new direction for the IWC: switching focus towards a stronger conservation agenda which can evaluate environmental threats and provide strong and meaningful conservation measures. This conservation angle of the IWC was bitterly opposed by the pro-whaling nations and if they gain increases in their voting power this year there could be moves to weaken or even abolish this crucial committee.
The IWC & Vote Buying
As in many recent years the controversial issue of vote buying is still posing a threat to the world's whale populations. Whaling nation governments, such as the Japanese Government, continue their efforts to get pro-whaling decisions passed by offering fisheries aid packages to some of the Commission's poorer countries in return for pro-whaling votes.
A recent paper from a Japanese Government working group states that "As a result of efforts of the Japanese government and industry, the balance of power within the IWC ... has become almost equal[1]." Initiatives that are currently desperately needed to protect whale populations such as the Conservation Committee and Whale Watching subcommittee could be under threat if the pro-whaling nations hijack the IWC to solely promote the interests of commercial whaling.
Southern Ocean Sanctuary under threat
The Southern Ocean Sanctuary undergoes a 10 year review this year after its creation in 1994. The pro-whaling nations are pushing to weaken the status of this sanctuary that is home to a huge proportion of the world's whale populations. Yet even in this sanctuary the blue whale population is a mere 1% of what it was before commercial whaling began. Japan already kills minke whales under the guise of 'science' in these waters, and if the pro-whaling nations had their way they would abolish it entirely.
Whale watching as a solution
Whales are worth a lot more alive than dead; whale watching currently contributes more than US$ 1 billion per year to the economies of coastal states, with 9 million participants each year. Nowhere is the choice between whaling and whale watching clearer than in Iceland, a country that has recently decided to restart 'scientific' whaling. In Iceland, the very whales that are hunted are crucial to the survival of the whale-watching industry - an essential part of Iceland's huge tourist appeal.
> Greenpeace believe whale watching, if managed on sound ecological principles, combines economic, educational, scientific and conservation benefits. Whale watching will be an issue discussed in both the plenary and the Scientific Committee of the IWC.
With this backdrop Greenpeace believes it is crucial that commercial hunting of cetacean species should be stopped and that the IWC use their global reach and scientific expertise to protect and not exploit whales & other cetaceans.
Greenpeace Oceans campaigner Willie Mackenzie said:
"The world's whales are under attack from all sides; from the impacts of fisheries, climate change, pollution and even ship strikes. Whale populations were devastated in the 20th century. Today the IWC has the opportunity to embrace it's conservation agenda and protect the world's last remaining whale populations - and promote truly sustainable alternatives to whaling such as eco-tourism."
Greenpeace will be attending the IWC under observer status and will also have campaigners in the UK and at the IWC venue in Italy available for interview.
Further information
Please call the Greenpeace Press Office on 0207 865 8255
Notes
[1] BBC Online
