IWC report from another list

[Guest guest]

Monday 16th June - IWC Berlin

 

Dear All

 

The 'Berlin Initiative' was adopted today by 25 votes

for and 20 against. This establishes a Conservation

Committee that will meet prior to next year's meeting

and be able to discuss issues such as whale-watching,

pollution threats and small cetaceans among other

things.

 

Thankfully, their were no amendments to include

'sustainable utilisation' or direct links to

completion of the RMS. However, Ireland said they

supported the 'Berlin Initiative' because there had

been no progress on the RMS and their proposals to

compromise.

 

Just how significant or not this proves to be for the

IWC and the whales remains to be seen. It will not

change the polarisation in the IWC with Japan having

brought in Nicaragua this year with Belize and Ivory

Coast likely to join in the very near future. And so

the votes for japan continue to pile up but as yet

they have little to show for such huge expenditure.

However, Japan's plans are for the long term and they

are very patiently building to overturn the moratorium

itself.

 

Japan has tabled a proposal to take 150 Bryde's and

150 minkes for their coastal whaling communities. It

is unclear, but very concerning what the US attitude

to this will be as they supported a Japanese

resolution on community whaling at the Cambridge IWC

special meeting last October.

 

The Russians have now tabled a formal proposal to

delete the words 'whose traditional aboriginal

subsistence and cultural needs have been recognised'

from the Schedule against their Gray whale quota which

is shared with the US. Yesterday it was rumoured that

the US would oppose this proposal but it is unclear

how other delegations will react. Given the potential

consequences such a change in the Schedule would have

for pending lawsuits on the Makah issue we are doing

what we can to get this amendment defeated or

withdrawn. It will need a 3/4 majority vote to

succeed.

 

A proposal by Japan for secret ballots was defeated

today by 19 for and 26 against. This is good news but

once again the very fact that Japan can muster almost

20 votes these days has to be cause for concern. With

more Japanese recruits likely to the IWC in the next

year it is vital that more whale-friendly countries

are persuaded to join as soon as possible.

 

Finally whale-watching was discussed with several

countries pointing out that it is far more valuable

than whaling.

 

A better day than we might have expected - but many

problems and unresolved issues lie ahead.

 

Best to all

 

Andy Ottaway in Berlin for

Campaign Whale and the Global Whale Alliance

 

 

 

 

 

SBC DSL - Now only $29.95 per month!

http://sbc.