FW: the sad truth about whales / IWC report

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" Tami Drake " <oceandefense1

FW: IWC report

 

 

> [Original Message]

> Andy Ottaway <campaign-whale

> <oceandefense1

> Cc:

> 6/11/2003 10:52:42 AM

> IWC report

>

>

> The latest reports are that Belize and Nicaragua have arrived to

support Japan. Voting will be tight again and there is no certainty

of anything. > No new friends for the whales, of course.

>

> The Infractions Committee met yesterday and it was really

depressing to see how impotent the IWC is and how contemptuous the

whalers are. St Vincent were absent to answer questions about yet

another illegal killing of a humpback calf. They still have no

domestic whaling laws in place despite this being a condition of

their increased quota of 4 whales per year for 5 years, agreed in

Shimonoseki last year.

>

> Japan has new laws which allow whales in nets to be killed and

sold. This was heavily criticized as an obvious infraction and

violation of the moratorium. Japan, supported by Norway, said the

IWC has no competence in this area. In 2000, 29 whales were

reported as bycatch in Japan. Since the new law was introduced this

has soared to 123 caught and 119 killed.

>

> In Iceland a humpback whale was entangled and the meat was sold in

> Supermarkets. Like Japan and Norway, Iceland said that selling

this ' bycatch' was not an infraction. Whale meat is common in

Iceland and illegal whaling is believed to have continued in the

north throughout the moratorium.

>

> In Korea, illegal whaling is reported to be increasing

with 'bycaught' minkes worth up to an estimated $40,000 US each.

Organised crime is believed to be involved because the number of

bycaught whales - about 3- 4 per month has declined and the price of

whale meat has escalated. Korea admitted that there is a substantial

bycatch problem but supported by Japan and Norway said the issue

was 'not appropriate' to discuss at the IWC. There is now every

incentive for fishermen to kill rather than release whales caught in

nets and, as usual, the IWC is powerless to stop it.

>

> In 2002, 32 killer whales were killed in Greenland and 2 more have

been killed this year so far. Orcas are protected by the moratorium

but little action will be taken. There are also reports that

Greenland is investigating trading whale meat for blubber with

Norway which would be a violation of CITES and its aboriginal

subsistence status at the IWC.

>

> In the Faroes, six bottlenose whales were killed last year which is

an infraction as these animals fall under the IWC ban. The Faroese

> delegate is not here yet but Denmark argued that these whales

simply stranded and were simply euthanised. No action will be taken.

>

> Finally, today in the Aboriginal Subsistence Whaling Sub-Committee

> meeting Russia asked for the IWC to delete the words 'whose needs

have been recognised by the IWC' from their grey/bowhead quota

claiming it is ' discriminatory' as no other AbSub quota has this

condition. TO DELETE THESE WORDS WITH A SCHEDULE AMENDMENT IN

PLENARY WOULD NEED A 3/4 MAJORITY BUT IT WOULD OF COURSE BE VERY

HELPFUL TO THE US IN THEIR DOMESTIC LAWSUITS OVER THE MAKAH HUNT.

>

> Andy Ottaway

for the Global Whale Alliance

>

>

>

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