Guest guest Posted June 26, 2000 Report Share Posted June 26, 2000 --------------------------- For more " behind the story " : Visit http://www.stopwhalekill.org/japan.html Hong Kong - News Asia Monday, June 26 4:55 PM SGT North Atlantic Whalers Demand That Australia Quits the Iwc CANBERRA, June 26 Asia Pulse - North Atlantic whalers today demanded Australia quit the International Whaling Commission (IWC) ahead of the 52nd IWC meeting being hosted in Adelaide next week. Australia was hindering the work of the IWC and should branch out and form its own convention, according to the High North Alliance, representing about 150,000 whalers in Norway, Iceland, Greenland and Canada. Key whaling nations Norway and Japan will oppose Australia's moves to establish a South Pacific Whale Sanctuary at the Adelaide meeting. " We will encourage Australia to leave, " Alliance secretary Rune Frovik told AAP. " It is not to turn the clock back and made the IWC into a whaling club, but covering nations that are interested in achieving the goals of managing whaling. " The IWC was originally set up to manage whaling and its executive nations recently expressed interest in taking a " managerial " role in whale hunting, which runs counter to Australia's bid to set up a global whale sanctuary. " Australia is a hindrance to international cooperation of the IWC by taking this position, " Mr Frovik said. " If Australia wishes, Australia can establish a new convention and find other governments to sign up to that convention. " The Alliance is currently in Australia on a mission to promote its cause, arguing that most Australians are not aware of how the Norwegian system governing whale slaughter works. Since resuming minke whaling in 1993 as part of an IWC agreement, Norway has consumed about 1,000 tonnes of whale meat each year. Mr Frovik said that Norway wanted the IWC to stick to its mandate of managing whaling, not banning it, which many groups feel is patently outdated. He doubted that Australia would succeed in its bid to establish a sanctuary, with the government needing at least 25 votes in its favour. " I have no idea whether it will go through or not - I believe not, though. " Opposition was likely to come from Norway, some Caribbean states and possibly Denmark. African nations also appear to be trading support for Norway's whaling push for support for its bid for a lift on a ban on elephant hunting. " As far as I understand both these southern African countries, as well as Norway, they support each other based on the merits of their own proposals that they are dealing with sustainable catches of abundant animals, " Mr Frovik told ABC radio. ASIA PULSE --- Susan, List Admin & Web Master for http://www.stopwhalekill.org .............. " We made a promise to the whales. " - Josh Harper, ODI http://www.safepassing.org/odi/ To receive Makah Whaling Bulletins, write to dano --------------------------- To change list options, or , go to http://www.topica.com. Or send e-mail to swk-, swk-. Visit our site: http://www.stopwhalekill.org .... Ask a friend today to join our list! ... _________ T O P I C A The Email You Want. http://www.topica.com/t/16 Newsletters, Tips and Discussions on Your Favorite Topics Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.