IWC steps back from the brink

Posted on May, 28 1999

WWF, the conservation organization, has welcomed a new spirit of negotiation in the face of a standoff between pro- and anti-whaling nations. After two days of acrimonious debate, the great majority of governments at the 51st meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) recognized the need to resolve an ideological deadlock that clouded the organization's future.

St George's, GRENADA - WWF, the conservation organization, has welcomed a new spirit of negotiation in the face of a standoff between pro- and anti-whaling nations. After two days of acrimonious debate, the great majority of governments at the 51st meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) recognized the need to resolve an ideological deadlock that clouded the organization's future.

The spirit of negotiation emerged in the debate over the future of the IWC and the "Irish Proposal". 27 out of the 34 countries present spoke, all but one accepting the need to use Ireland's proposal as a starting point for finding a solution to the deadlock in the IWC that has prevailed in the past years. The Irish proposal would result in a substantial reduction in whales killed.

"We are encouraged that the governments have agreed to negotiate, but we are disappointed that no concrete progress was made at this meeting," said Cassandra Phillips, WWF's coordinator for Whales and the Antarctic. "It is imperative that these negotiations advance before the CITES meeting in April 2000".

It is likely that a proposal to lift a ban on trade in certain populations of minke whales will be put forward at the Convention on the Trade in Endangered Species of Flora and Fauna (CITES) meeting in April 2000. Conservationists fear this could result in the resumption of international trade in whale products, allowing those countries that lodged objections to the IWC's moratorium to resume commercial whaling.

WWF is encouraged that the overwhelming number of governments at the IWC voted to reaffirm the primacy of the IWC in the management of whales over CITES. WWF believes this should ensure that CITES deliberations next year will respect the IWC's moratorium on commercial whaling, and reject any proposals that could reopen international trade in whale products.

Cassandra Phillips went on say, "if the international ban on trade in whale meat were lifted, it could spark large scale commercial whaling around the world. This would be totally unacceptable."

For further information:

Cassandra Phillips: Allamandra Hotel, Grenada, tel: +1 473 444 0095

David Cowdrey or Kyla Evans: Allamandra Hotel, Grenada, tel: +1 473 444 0095

NOTE TO EDITORS

1. The following countries spoke in favour of a negotiated solution: Antigua & Barbuda, Brazil, Chile, People's Republic of China, Denmark, Dominica, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Japan, Mexico, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Oman, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, South africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, U.K., USA.