International Whaling Commission needs to normalise
By Silafaga Lalua
The International Whaling Commission (IWC) is in urgent need to normalize, and return to doing what it was established to do.
Since a moratorium was drawn up in 1982, the number of anti-whaling countries who are against the harvesting of whales have grown, outnumbering that of pro-whaling countries.
Tuvalu is a pro-whaling country, believing in the harvesting of whales, at a sustainable level. Anti-whaling countries like New Zealand and Australia on the other hand do not agree to the killing of any whales, and have agencies like Greenpeace and many other non government organizations promote the banning of whale killing.
IWC appointed a scientific committee which researches the number of each specie of whales remaining, which species should be harvested and which are not.
This helps monitor the number of whales so they won’t affect other marine species by their large number.
Commissioners from the seventy seven member countries of the IWC had just returned to their home countries after this year’s annual meeting held in Anchorage, Alaska, held from the 28th to the 31st of May, 2007.
Tuvalu Commissioner to the IWC, Secretary to Government Panapasi Nelesone together with Tupulaga Poulasi from the fisheries department, represented Tuvalu at the meeting.
Nelesone told Tuvalu Echo that among the issues raised at the meeting were those from United States, Denmark for Greenland, Russia, Japan and St. Vincent & Grenadines, for a quota under the aboriginal subsistence whaling.
This aboriginal subsistence whaling which is in the schedule of the International Convention for the regulation of whales ICRW, allows communities that consume whale meat as part of their culture harvest a certain quantity of whales.
All the mentioned countries got their requests approved, except Japan.
According to Mr. Nelesone, six representatives of local communities from Japan went to Anchorage to testify that they consume whale meat as part of their culture, and had been for thousand of years, but Commissioners did not approve their request based on the belief that harvesting whales in Japan will all be for commercial use, therefore does not qualify it under the aboriginal subsistence whaling.
The request was tabled twice during the meeting, while its third and last request was withdrawn.
The moratorium that bans the killing of whales, drawn up in 1982 and effective in 1986 has yet to be lifted, even though it was suppose to have been lifted in 1990.
Nelesone stated that Commissioners have agreed for a Revised Management Programme (RMP) to be in place before the Moratorium is lifted.
Tuvalu news learnt that the RMP will be carried out by Commissioners themselves.
A resolution was agreed to by consensus that all parties in IWC should not interfere with researcher vessels.
Brazil also wanted the Commissioners’ approval to start the South Atlantic Whale Sanctuary but it did not get the support of three quarters of Commissioners.
Tuvalu declared no participation in Brazil’s request as it was a divisive request and it did not like Commissioners to divide but to normalize.
Mr. Nelesone stated that member countries or groups willing to participate in the normalization of IWC, were asked at this meeting to make reparations, ready for the next IWC meeting in mid 2008 in Chile.
The last normalization meeting held in Tokyo earlier this year was boycotted by anti-whaling member countries.
