Guest guest Posted June 30, 2000 Report Share Posted June 30, 2000 This message comes to you courtesy of the CFN-Views Maillist. --------------------------- >X-Sender: mpalmer >Wed, 28 Jun 2000 12:36:20 +0100 >davep (Dave Phillips), dgr, envirocvn, > berman >mpalmer (Mark Palmer) >Whaling Ban Set to End (BBC) > >BBC > > Sunday, 11 June, 2000, 23:19 GMT 00:19 UK > Whaling ban set to end > > Greenpeace denounces Norway: But the hunt could soon be > legal again > By environment correspondent Alex Kirby > > Fourteen years after the world banned whaling, the > signs are that the moratorium will be lifted within the > next year or two. > > The ending of the ban, imposed in 1986, may not > necessarily mean a big increase in the number of > whales being killed. > > But it will send shockwaves through the green > movement, which sees the ending of commercial > whaling as one of its crowning achievements. > > And it will throw wide open the debate about sustainable > use, the argument that humans can, within limits, > exploit every species. > > The secretary of the International Whaling Commission > (IWC), Dr Ray Gambell, told BBC News Online that a > failure to signal the forthcoming end of the ban would > mean " a real danger that the commission will lose its > credibility totally " . > > Majority opposition > > The ban on commercial whaling was agreed by the IWC > in 1982, and finally implemented four years later. But > two IWC members continue to kill whales - Japan for > what it calls " scientific research " , and Norway because it > does not accept the moratorium. > > Under IWC rules both are legally entitled to their > catches, though most members disapprove strongly. > > > In 1999 Japan killed more > than 500 minke whales in > the Antarctic and north > Pacific, and Norway plans to > catch 655 north Atlantic > minkes this year. Adult > minkes, the smallest of the > great whales, measure > about 10 metres. > > There are thought to be at > least 750,000 in the > Antarctic, and 80,000 off > the Norwegian coast. > > Japan is extending its > research programme to kill > two larger species, sperm > and Bryde's whales, as well as minkes. > > The IWC will hold its 2000 meeting in Adelaide, South > Australia, in July. For years now, IWC meetings have > been little more than ritual confrontations between the > anti-whaling majority and the pro-whalers, Japan, > Norway and their few allies. > > But Adelaide looks likely to be very different, with the > whalers being offered the prospect that their activities > will soon have the commission's approval. > > Dr Gambell, a British whale biologist, has been secretary > of the IWC, which is based in Cambridge, UK, since > 1976. He will retire after the Adelaide meeting. > > Accepting the reality > > Stressing that an end to the ban was only a possibility, > he told BBC News Online: " Whaling is going on at a > commercial level. It's outside IWC control. > > " I would think it much better that it was brought within > international regulations and oversight. > > " I think the commission will need to move forward on > measures which would allow controlled whaling, > otherwise it will lose credibility. > > " If the commission cannot set its house in order, > people will start to ask: 'Why do we need it at all?' " > > > Dr Gambell accepted that > many people would be > aghast at the prospect of > the IWC sanctioning > renewed commercial > whaling. > > " Some people think whales > are such special animals > that they shouldn't be > hunted at all. But that's > very much a question of > different cultures. > > " There have been major > advances in recent years in > the killing technology. The > time to death is very much > improved, though there is > still room for further improvement. > > " There is not going to be, I think, a major expansion in > whaling across the world's oceans. Commercial whaling > is going to be a small-scale local activity, largely > confined to coastal areas. " > > Dr Gambell also believes a resumption of trade in > whalemeat and products is possible, relying on > state-of-the-art DNA technology to determine the origin > of every import. And he thinks the IWC must face up to > the challenge of sustainable use. > > " We have to look to managing the world in a proper > way, because the number of people is going to continue > to grow, there are going to be increasing pressures on > living space and food availability. > > " The whale is a high-profile animal. It has become a > symbol. " --------------------------- Mark Berman Program Associate International Marine Mammal Project of Earth Island 300 Broadway #28 San Francisco CA 94133 USA 415-788-3666 X 146 Fax 415-788-7324 ---------------------- To from the CFN-Views Maillist, send an email to: majordomo with the entire message BODY (not subject) being: cfn-views Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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