Saving the whales is not over by a long shot Alexia Wellbelove ABC Environment 16 Sep 2014 whale Greenland has gained approval to hunt whales for traditional reasons. Credit: iStockphoto See also Related Story: The flawed nature of the International Whaling Commissions science Sara Phillips 16 Sep 2014 Related Story: Japanese whaling: Japan to unveil redesigned Southern Ocean program following International Court of Justice ruling News Online 13 Sep 2014 Related Story: Australian Marine Conservation Societys Darren Kindleysides discusses this weeks International Whaling Commission meeting ABC NewsRadio Mornings 15 Sep 2014 Related Story: Japan poised to try to reset Antarctic program at whaling meeting PM 15 Sep 2014 Comments (6) Despite a 1986 ban on commercial whaling, and a recent judgement that Japans whale hunt is illegal, whales are far from protected. Australia still has a strong role to play. THE 65TH MEETING of the International Whaling Commission opened this week as 88 member nations, including Australia, convened in the small coastal town of Portoroz, Slovenia. Its the first meeting of the Commission since the 31st March judgment by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) that declared Japans Antarctic whaling program to be illegal and in breach of the moratorium on commercial whaling put in place in 1982. Sparks have already started to fly between nations, as decades long positions of pro- and anti-whaling are rekindled, with much at stake for many nations. While the fight for whales has been going on for some time, the worlds whales are still not safe. Unfortunately, despite the landmark decision by the ICJ, it appears that Japan has decided not to take this opportunity to end its whaling program. Instead, key scientists around the world have recently been contacted by the Japanese Government and requested to take part in the review of a revised whaling program they plan to make public in November this year in the hope that it will gain approval at the IWCs Scientific Committee meeting in May 2015. Despite this, little has been said so far on the floor of the meeting by Japan of their long term plans in the Southern Ocean. Pro-conservation nations, however, are determined not to let it stay this way, with a resolution being put forward by New Zealand being discussed later in the week focussed on ensuring the Commission will retain a strong role in any discussion or approval of Japans next whaling program in the Southern Ocean following on from the ICJ judgment, and not delegating this activity to the Scientific Committee. The Australian Government has a key role to play at this meeting and in whaling discussions in general. This is not only thanks to Australia bringing the issue of whaling to the International Court of Justice, but also because Australia has consistently been a strong voice for conservation at IWC, in an attempt to move the Commission from a body that discusses the killing of whales, to one that now deals with an increasing range of conservation issues, such as marine debris and ship strikes amongst many others. This year, Humane Society International is asking Australia and all the other pro-conservation countries to once again step up to protect the whales in the face of strong opposition by pro-whaling countries. Sadly the prospects are not good. On Monday a proposal by Greenland, which was previously rejected at the 2012 meeting, was approved thanks to strong support from the European Union. Greenland now has permission to hunt 19 fin whales, 176 minke whales, 2 bowhead whales, and 10 humpback whales. This amounts to an authorised kill of 828 whales until the Greenland quota comes up again in four years time. Greenland was authorise to hunt for these whales under an exemption to the moratorium for aboriginal subsistence whaling. But Greenlands whaling program is anything but, with significant evidence that there are commercial aspects to this hunt, leading to blurred lines between aboriginal and commercial whaling. Discussion was also held on Monday regarding Japans Small Type Coastal Whaling, which again is seeking to introduce a new type of whaling to the Convention which is neither aboriginal, nor commercial in Japans eyes. Although in the eyes of pro-conservation nations this is clearly an attempt to aboriginalise commercial whaling in order to get its approval. Discussion on this proposal is still underway, although it is looking like it wont be accepted by member nations. For many years Latin American countries have also sought to establish a South Atlantic Whale Sanctuary, to join up with the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary and provide even greater protection for our whales. Sadly discussions so far show significant division on this proposal as well, with pro-whaling nations extremely opposed to this important conservation proposal, making it once again unlikely it will get through. In the shadow of the strong judgment of the ICJ, pro-conservation countries have no choice but to continue the fight and remain firm in their positions. It is clear that the IWC remains far away from its desire to be a body of consensus, with none being found so far on the first day and little chance of this being found on key issues before the end of the week. The next few days provide our best chance to ensure that the moratorium on commercial whaling stands and whaling in the Southern Ocean ends — lets hope Australia and other pro-conservation member nations make the most of the opportunity. Alexia Wellbelove is senior program manager for Humane Society International. Actions Email Print Comments (6) Add your comment Georgie Stewart : 16 Sep 2014 8:11:47pm The comments made by Ryohei Uchida are nothing short of outrageous. We are honoured to share this planet with such majestic and beautiful creatures, and the fact that whaling is still allowed to take place in this day and age is simply absurd. Furthermore, the method used to kill them using a penthrite grenade harpoon is grossly inhumane causing prolonged pain and unbelievable suffering. Most countries legislate that animals for human consumption are stunned prior to slaughter, yet whales escape this rule. The work of HSI and other organisations trying to stop this barbaric practice should be applauded. The sooner these animals get the respect and protection they deserve, the better. Reply Alert moderator Ryohei Uchida : 16 Sep 2014 3:49:00pm This is completely unsubstantiated and misleading nonsense which is typical of the anti-whaling industry. This notion of whales arent safe is a mischievous fallacy. It suggests whales are somehow threatened or endangered and that the current deliberations in the IWC will somehow affect or determine their continued existence. This, of course, if utter nonsense. What the article ignores entirely is the tremendous abundance and robustness of many whale stocks around the world today. In particular, minke and humpback whale stocks which have reached problematically abundant populations. These are the species that Japan would like to target in a regulated and sustainable harvest which would not have the slightest impact upon the viability of those whale stocks. And yet the anti-whaling industry, in the absence of any bona fide conservation argument, resort to deceptive tactics of fear-mongering and appeals to sentimentality. The moratorium on commercial whaling was only ever intended as a temporary measure to return whale stocks to sustainable levels. For many species, this has undeniably been achieved. So the time has come to lift the moratorium and allow a regulated and sustainable commercial harvest for those nations wishing to do so. Recalcitrant anti-whaling nations which have hijacked the IWC and diverted it from its stated objective of regulating commercial whaling should cease their obstructionist activities and heed science and reason. Conservation is no place for arbitrary survival of the cutest sentimentality. Reply Alert moderator Pavo : 16 Sep 2014 6:41:17pm Science and Reason. Interesting. Especially since: 1) There is absolutely no scientific benefit whatsoever in Japans continued attempts to slaughter as many whales as they can get away with, using grossly obscene methods. 2) There is absolutely no reason to kill whales, given the stockpiles of uneaten whale meat in Japan, despite the pathetic attempts to force-feed it to school kids (who understandably find it revolting). Japans whale hunting is just another petty piece of obstinacy from a country that values vanity and face-saving over common sense. Reply Alert moderator george : 17 Sep 2014 8:13:18am the hunting and slaughter of whales is akin to the hunting and killing of gorillas. practicaly cannabalism Reply Alert moderator bonzono : 17 Sep 2014 1:29:35pm Ryohei is already outed as a paid mouthpiece for the institute of cetacean research. A google search for his name associated with whaling returns 51700 hits - and not a single one of them is a scientific research article. While not a single moral or intellectually honest person would actually agree with him, its academic and in fact, trivial to rip his persistent and negligent fabrications to the scattered shreds they deserve. Ryohei, you are not in a position to assess anything close to the scientific veracity of the programme, it has ALREADY been found by an international court to be ILLEGAL - your country is breaking the law and they know it. whales arent safe is a mischievous fallacy Next you will be so stupid to claim that anyone waving a harpoon with the intent to throw it at you is perfectly safe. How profoundly ridiculous. It suggests whales are somehow threatened or endangered The simple fact is they would be, if you country had its way. The reason they are not (any more), is because you would suffer outcry from not only the international community, but from within. The sad fact is japanese simply do not eat the whale meat. It is a complete lie. What the article ignores entirely is the tremendous abundance and robustness of many whale stocks around the world today False - it identifies them and associates them with the protection that the IWC is giving them, and that Japan is breaking. The question is - why? Royhei, do you really not see the stupidity of the argument We should be allowed to slaughter whales to extinction for absolutely no reason because they are currently not extinct? And yet the anti-whaling industry, in the absence of any bona fide conservation argument....blahblah Well, the arguments exist, and you ignore them. 1. its illegal 2. its illegal 3. its illegal I wrote that one three times, because youve obviously missed it. 4. You dont need it 5. your country does not consume it 6. you country does no research on it. 7. you do nothing whatever with it, except let it rot. 8. the slaughter you engage in, for no reason whatsoever, is pointless. the argument, royhei, is youre simply wasting japanese taxpayer money for absolutely no reason. There is absolutely nothing for japan to gain. Now, what part of this dont you get? You do nothing with the whales, nothing at all. So.. stop wasting japans money that SHOULD have been spent on building the economy after march 2011, rather than beefing up your blatant pandering to the yakuza. Get the intellectual honesty to burn off your low-rank yakuza tattoo, its nothing to be proud of. Reply Alert moderator JoeBloggs : 18 Sep 2014 3:52:25pm Hi Ryohei, Happy new year and nice to see you back. Though I see you are still peddling the same old tired lies, like minke and humpback whale stocks which have reached problematically abundant populations and standard claims that targeted whale species are not threatened or endangered species. Of course you will attempt to mislead folks by suggesting that the Japanese commercial whalers are targeting the Common Minke whale species (which is of least concern status) when in fact they will be targeting the Antarctic Minke whale species whose rate of population decline clearly places them in the category of Endangered Species. Similarly the Tongan subpopulations of humpback whales are of such a small population that even limited hunting has the potential to wipe out the subpopulation and end the ability of Tonga (and other pacific islands) to obtain tourist dollars from whale watching and swimming activities. Of course your absurd suggesting that the Minke and Humpbacks are eating all the fish and are problematic is repeated by you year in and year out despite there being absolutely no scientific evidence to suggest this (and in reality the absolute opposite is true if you study the actual science on the matter). I realise you want to see endangered whales sitting idle in Japanese freezers,........... however that is not conservation. Reply Alert moderator
Posted on: Sat, 27 Sep 2014 13:41:17 +0000
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