FACTBOX - IWC meets on whaling in Berlin

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FACTBOX - IWC meets on whaling in Berlin

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GERMANY: June 17, 2003

 

 

BERLIN - The International Whaling Commission (IWC) holds an annual meeting

in Berlin from June 16-19. Following are facts about whaling:

 

 

 

The IWC, which has about 50 member states, imposed a moratorium on

commercial whaling from 1986 because stocks of many whales like the giant

blue whale were close to extinction.

 

The IWC allows an exception for subsistence catches of whales for indigenous

peoples in places including Greenland, Siberia and the U.S. state of Alaska.

 

Whaling nations argue that stocks of species like the small minke whale have

recovered enough to allow hunts. Opponents say stock estimates are uncertain

and that humans should respect the planet's biggest mammals by leaving them

alone.

 

Whaling has long stirred strong emotions, from Herman Melville's novel " Moby

Dick " to Greenpeace campaigns to " Save the Whale " .

 

MAIN WHALING NATIONS

 

NORWAY - Resumed " commercial " hunts of minke whales in 1993, ignoring the

IWC moratorium. Whalers have so far harpooned more than half a 711 quota set

for 2003. The meat is eaten as steaks.

 

Oslo further angered opponents of whaling by resuming whale meat exports

last year, to Iceland and the Faroe Islands, in defiance of a global trade

ban. Planned blubber exports to Japan have been stalled by poisonous PCB

chemicals in the whale fat.

 

JAPAN - Carries out whaling for " scientific research " which Tokyo says is

allowed by IWC rules even though opponents call it a cover for commercial

hunts. Japan aims for annual catches of up to 440 minke whales in the

Antarctic and smaller numbers of minkes, Brydes and sperm whales in the

northwest Pacific. The meat ends up in restaurants and sushi bars.

 

ICELAND - Wants to resume whaling and plans a " scientific research " catch of

100 fin whales, 100 minkes and 50 sei whales a year.

 

IWC MEETING

 

The IWC will consider a proposal for a " Berlin Initiative " to set up a

conservation committee in the IWC. Japan has threatened to walk out, fearing

it could make the IWC focus merely on safeguarding whales and shift from its

original role of regulating catches.

 

Whalers reckon the IWC is unlikely to approve a resumption of commercial

whaling this year, saying political opposition in nations like the United

States is too strong.

 

 

 

REUTERS NEWS SERVICE