Posted on mayo, 15 2007

Suva, Fiji. WWF strongly encourages Pacific Island Governments to take a responsible and united position towards the protection of our dwindling whale populations at the International Whaling Commission (IWC) next week.

The annual meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) is scheduled for 28th - 31st May, 2007 in Anchorage, Alaska.

WWF's campaign to end uncontrolled commercial whaling is part of a much broader efforts to minimize human impacts on all cetaceans, whether from commercial exploitation, climate change, being caught and killed in fisheries nets or other human-caused threats.

Commercial whaling has been banned since 1986 to enable populations of whales to recover following excessive hunting. Nations that support the resumption of commercial whaling are seeking to win sufficient votes at the IWC meeting to topple the ban.

"The potential long term benefits of protecting whales outweigh the short term gain Pacific Island countries might receive to support the commercial whaling plans of some countries," says Ms. Penina Solomona, WWF South Pacific Programme's Regional Marine officer.

During the last meeting of the IWC, a number of Pacific Island Countries came under fire for having voted with pro-whaling nations on several issues. Some pro-whaling nations are being accused of using development aid assistance and paying IWC membership fees to buy votes from some Pacific Island Countries in support of lifting the ban.

A recent public opinion survey in Palau, Kiribati, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu and Marshall Islands has indicated that a majority of people oppose the resumption of commercial whaling. Most notably, the majority of people surveyed in Palau, Solomon Islands and Tuvalu also said they disagreed with their country’s support for the resumption of commercial whaling at previous IWC meetings.

A global annual estimate of revenue earned through whale watching is approximated at USD 1 billion. This figure includes Tonga's whale watching ventures which earns the tiny Pacific Island nation an estimated USD 500,000 per annum. Commercial whaling would definitely pose a threat to the viability of whale watching businesses.

"WWF strongly encourages Pacific Island governments to take a united position of responsibility for both the dwindling whale populations and the potential for developing whale-related ecotourism in the region" said Ms. Solomona.

The region is home to 4 of the worlds endangered and vulnerable whale species, and currently nine Pacific Island Countries already offer sanctuary to whales in their Exclusive Economic Zone - totalling to 28.15 million square kilometers of ocean.

"While this is a step in the right direction, the migratory nature of whales requires that they are protected throughout their entire range, both in the breeding areas of the Pacific and in the feeding areas for many species in southern and Antarctic waters. Whales already face several threats in the marine environment, including pollution, accidental capture in fishing nets, and noise pollution. At this point, there is simply not enough information on the populations in the region to start targeting whales for commercial activities." said Ms. Solomona.

It is evident that while Pacific Island communities differ in how they view whales, they undoubtedly share a common bond of respect for this animal. A decision in favor of whaling by one or two countries, will nullify years of effort by many other countries to conserve these magnificent creatures for future generations.

For further information:
Ashwini Prabha, Communications Coordinator, WWF South Pacific, T +679 3315533, MOB +679 9268 016.

Additional communications materials available at www.panda.org/species/IWC :

• History of the IWC
• Backgrounder on Scientific Whaling
• Whales killed since the moratorium chart and graphs
• Fact sheet on whales and dolphins
• Images (existing materials) available from the WWF International photodatabase: Contact: FWulf@wwfint.org
• TV archive contact world images: info@world-images.org
• Website: www.panda.org/species/iwc

Notes to Editor:

• WWF, is no longer addressed as World Wide Fund for Nature but only as WWF, the global conservation organization.
• Ten Pacific countries- Fiji, Samoa, New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Tonga, Norfolk Island, Papua New Guinea, Cook Islands, French Polynesia, Niue, Australia and New Zealand - have declared their EEZs (totaling to 28.15 million km²) as whale sanctuaries or have laws against hunting whales. Additionally, the Pacific Islands Forum has maintained its support for a South Pacific Whale Sanctuary since 1998, recognizing that whales are an important part of the natural and cultural heritage of the Pacific.
• The International Whaling Commission is the only global body to formally address all threats to cetaceans (whales, dolphins and porpoises). The IWC meets annually and adopts regulations on catch limits, whaling methods and sanctuaries on the basis of a three-quarters majority vote.
• Japan has killed more than 650 whales per year under the guise of "scientific whaling," a practice which increased significantly right after the IWC moratorium on commercial whaling went into effect. Japan will again be trying to establish a secret ballot procedure (which has otherwise been rejected at every IWC meeting). A simple majority would be needed for Japan's proposal to succeed. If there is a secret ballot, no one will know how any government voted.