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A VICTORY FOR WHALES IN A WORRYING WORLD
Harare - 17 June, 1997
All five proposals to reduce the protection of whales at the CITES conference have been defeated despite the intense efforts of the world's whaling dissidents - Japan and Norway.
Norway joined Japan today in forcing a secret ballot on its proposal to downlist the North East Atlantic Minke whale from Appendix I to Appendix II.
'Greenpeace is shocked to see Norway joining Japan on its mission to bury the principle of transparency at international conventions,' said Isabel McCrea of Greenpeace.
'As it is, Norway's failure to comply with the International Whaling Commission's commercial whaling moratorium does no credit to that country's record in international relations. This is now compounded by its readiness to jettison open decision-making in favour of politicking in smoke-filled rooms.
'We also deplore the continued acquiescence of other CITES parties to this cloak and dagger form of voting.'
Norway's proposal to downlist the North East Atlantic population of minke whales from Appendix I to Appendix II was defeated (51 against, 57 for, 4 abstained) when it failed to achieve the required two thirds majority.
All of Japan's proposals to downlist three populations of minke whales were also defeated after secret ballots. Its proposal on the Southern Hemisphere population of Minke whales was rejected by 59 to 53 with 4 abstentions and the proposal to reduce protection of the Sea of Okhotsk/West Pacific Minkes was defeated by 65 to 45 with 7 abstentions.
The Japanese proposal to downlist the Eastern Pacific Grey whales was defeated yesterday after a secret ballot (61-47).
Earlier today, Japan withdrew its bid to downgrade the protection for the Western North Pacific Brydes whale.
In a strongly worded intervention, Greenpeace's Isabel McCrea condemned the whaling nations' use of economic power over small island states who have constantly supported their secret ballot propositions at this meeting.
She said the constant catchcry at the CITES conference of 'sustainable use' had been badly abused. 'The reality of Japanese and Norwegian whaling is not sustainable use, it is simply use whatever the environmental cost and whatever the views of other parties,' she said.
'In Greenpeace's view, real sustainability must mean decisions to serve long-term conservation, based on proper management and a proper decision making process in the relevant conventions.'
She rejected the whaling nations' claims that the call for whale conservation was led by non-government organisations and governments from rich countries.
'Japan and Norway are neither poor nor developing nor Southern. They are two of the richest countries in the world and that economic power and its influence on other parties is very much in evidence at this conference,' she said.
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Intervention for the Whales
CITES, Harare 17 June, 97
Thank you Mr.Chairman,
I must ask your indulgence for some brief comments which relate to all the whale proposals which have been presented by Norway and Japan at this Conference of the Parties, Greenpeace, as an organisation involved in this matter for more than 25 years, wants to briefly touch upon a few items of concern.
The two proposing countries claim that the call for whale conservation is driven by NGOs and governments from rich countries who are ignoring the poorer part of the world. In reality, Japan and Norway are neither poor nor developing nor Southern . They are two of the richest countries in the world and that economic power and its influence on other Parties is very much in evidence at this conference.
When it suits the proponents they call on high moral grounds to recognise community based mangement and comunity's involvement in decision making at CITES and when it doesn't, those same parties call for secret ballots and so exclude the people and the same communites from participation.
Further, the proponents call on CITES to respect the interntaional decisions by other relevant fora and conventions as long it fits with their own short term interests, but when it doesn't, they call for the decisions of other conventions to be ignored or undermined.
In the debate surrounding these proposals Greenpeace believes that the argument for "sustainable use" has been abused in an effort to undermine the necessary conservation meassures of the International Whaling Commission. The reality of Japanese and Norwegian whaling is not and has not been sustainable use, it is simply use whatever the environmental cost and whatever the views of other parties. In Greenpeace's view, real sustainability must mean decisions to serve long-term conservation, based on proper management and a proper decision making process in the relavant conventions.
These proposals are not made in good faith. They are made in an effort to gain international aprobation for activities carried out in defiance of the competant international body- the International Whaling Commission.
Therefore, Mr. Chairman,
Greenpeace urges all Parties to reject the downlisting proposals!
It is perhaps appropriate to restate here that decisions already taken by the Conference of the Parties should be respected and enforced by all members of CITES for the long term benefit of conservation and real sustainability.
In this respect Greenpeace calls on Norway and Japan to withdraw their CITES reservations on whale species.
Thank you Mr. Chairman