Posted on October, 12 2004

Bangkok, Thailand - Yet again, the Parties (governments) to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) have overwhelmingly rejected Japan's proposals to downlist Minke whales from Appendix I to Apendix II and allow international whale meat trade.
 
Dr Susan Lieberman, Head of WWF´s delegation to the Thirteenth Conference of the Parties (CoP 13) to CITES, said: "The Japanese continue to use poor science and to spread misinformation to achieve their goals. Major uncertainty remains over population trends of the minke whale – and permitting trade in whale meat through CITES would have been a challenge to the authority of the International Whaling Commission – the primary international body for the regulation of whaling."
 
Japan also submitted a resolution directed to the IWC that would have undermined an ongoing process in that forum. It was overwhelmingly defeated.
 
"CITES has agreed to defer to, and support the IWC on all matters related to the management of whale stocks and whaling,"  added Dr Susan Lieberman. "We are tired of the Japanese trying to re-establish whaling through the back door and wasting the governments' time. We are pleased this proposal was rejected and urge Japan to work cooperatively under the IWC – and not try to use CITES to undermine it." 

For more information: 
 
Joanna Benn,
WWF Species Programme,
Bangkok tel: +66 6563 7753
Jbenn@wwfint.org 
 
Olivier van Bogaert,
WWF International’s Press Office,
Bangkok tel: +66 4089 2344
ovanbogaert@wwfint.org