Fate of world's whales to be decided

Fate of world's whales to be decided

(Anchorage, Alaska – 28 May 2007) — The 59th meeting of the International Whaling Commission commences in Alaska today with representatives from more than 70 nations voting on whether the 1986 global moratorium on whaling should be lifted, allowing whales to be hunted commercially.

IFAW Asia Pacific Director, Michael McIntyre, who is attending the meeting in Anchorage, Alaska, said that this is a critical week for whales with Japan once again pushing to lift the ban on commercial whaling.

Conservation groups and anti-whaling nations face a long week of negotiations in a bid to reclaim the pro-conservation majority lost to the whalers at last year’s IWC meeting in St Kitts.

“If Japan succeeds in controlling a simple majority of votes at this week's meeting, pro-whaling nations would have the power to reverse many whale conservation IWC initiatives, and would likely replace these with pro-whaling initiatives -- putting the world’s whales in more jeopardy than ever,” Mr McIntyre said.

Despite the global moratorium on commercial whaling, Japan currently hunts more than 1,200 whales a year for what it calls “scientific” whaling, in abuse of an IWC loophole that allows for the lethal research of whales. More than 25,000 whales have been killed since the global moratorium was imposed in 1986. Whales hunted by Japan as part of its whaling program are processed and sold commercially within Japan. This year the nation has added 50 humpback whales to its self-allocated quota.

“Japan’s scientific whaling program is about whaling not science,” said Patrick Ramage, head of IFAW’s Global Whale Campaign.

“The best whale science in the 21st century involves studying live whales in their ocean habitats, not slaughtering them for cans of whale meat. We respectfully ask the Government of Japan to withdraw its announced plans to kill 50 magnificent whales later this year in an international sanctuary."

“Whatever the outcomes here, the nations of the world need to do something to stop this continuing slaughter. It’s time for Japan to stop targeting whales and the International Whaling Commission and start protecting them for future generations.”

IFAW is calling on IWC members to take a strong stand against commercial whaling at this year’s meeting. To make your voice heard in support of whales, visit www.stopwhaling.com.au today.

ENDS

© Scoop Media