The Makah can whale, why not the Maori?

[Guest guest]

* SWK and List Info In Footer *

...... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... .....

 

 

Maori whaling faces two hurdles

 

25.08.2000 -

 

Maori are unlikely to meet international criteria allowing whaling by

indigenous groups, the New Zealand commissioner to the International Whaling

Commission, Jim McLay, told MPs yesterday.

 

New Zealand, through the commission, opposes the resumption of commercial

whaling. However, it has consistently supported requests by indigenous

people for subsistence whaling quotas, where they meet commission criteria.

 

Waitangi Fisheries Commission member Archie Taiaroa has said Maori oppose

whaling commission rules limiting indigenous harvesting to subsistence

levels.

 

Subsistence means no trade and no possibility of investing in humane methods

of killing the whales.

 

Mr McLay told a parliamentary committee that Maori faced two hurdles to

being granted indigenous whaling rights.

 

" The first is the New Zealand legislation that protects marine mammals,

which is very clear and unequivocal.

 

" Secondly, they would have to meet the criteria of the commission. "

 

That meant proving that Maori had a tradition of whaling, and establishing

that they needed whale meat to subsist, he said.

 

" I think it would be very difficult to meet those criteria - any indigenous

people who made a request would have to meet those two criteria. "

 

Mr McLay, making it clear that he had no domestic mandate, said Maori had

historically harvested stranded whales for carving bones and, less often,

for meat.

 

There was no particular history of Maori whaling, but a considerable history

of access to stranded whales.

 

Maori had consistently indicated they had no interest in whaling, Mr McLay

said. He had met the fisheries commission to discuss the issues.

 

The Waitangi commission and several South Island iwi intend to co-host the

third assembly of the World Council of Whalers, a pro-whaling organisation,

in Nelson in November.

 

Asked if Japan was seeking to advance its commercial interests through the

World Council, Mr McLay said he was unwilling to speculate.

 

" But it is correct to say I for some years have expressed concern ... at the

attempt to blur the distinction between aboriginal subsistence whaling and

commercial whaling. "

 

The committee met briefly in private to allow Mr McLay to expand his views.

 

New Zealand and Australia last month failed in a bid for a South Pacific

whale sanctuary.

 

The vote, at the whaling commission's annual meeting in Adelaide, needed a

75 per cent majority and the result was seen as a major victory for Japan,

which led the opposition to a sanctuary bordering those in the Indian and

Southern Oceans.

 

- NZPA

©Copyright 2000, NZ Herald

Gray whales with Winston

http://www.geocities.com/RainForest/Jungle/1953/index.html

Save the Whales

http://www.homestead.com/savethewhales/index.html

 

 

---

Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.

Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).

Version: 6.0.166 / Virus Database: 79 - Release 6/20/00

 

 

_______

 

Get your free @ address at

 

 

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