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27 July 2001
Increasing environmental threats to whale populations exposed as IWC is overshadowed by Japanese vote buying
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London - As the International Whaling Commission (IWC) meeting
wraps up in London today, Greenpeace stressed that Japanese
vote buying (1) has prevented vital steps from being taken
to protect the world's remaining whale populations, such as
the creation of South Pacific and South Atlantic whale sanctuaries.
Greenpeace also warned that the threats posed to all whale
populations by man-made environmental
degradation of the oceans are being grossly under estimated.
(2)
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The world was watching in London this week.
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"Japanese vote buying has cast a shadow over this week's meeting
and looks set to continue. This pattern of corruption is undermining
the very fabric of the IWC and, if it goes unchecked, it's only
a matter of time before Japan buys its way back to a resumption
of commercial whaling. It's clearly wrong that the future of whales
should hang in the balance because of Japan's dirty politics," said
Greenpeace whale campaigner Richard Page.
| The most disturbing report of the IWC meeting was made by
its Scientific Committee which observed that the Western North
Pacific Gray whale population is reduced to less than one hundred
individuals of which there are only 12 adult females bearing
calves. |
Gray whale courtship. © Nolan/Innerspace
Visions |
It also noted that some individuals are 'skinny' and that the
ratio of males to females is two to one. Member states agreed to
in a resolution to "actively pursue all practicable actions" to
eliminate man-made mortality. Japan was the only country to oppose
this resolution.
"Japan's refusal to endorse moves to protect this critically endangered
great whale population demonstrates its total contempt for whales
and whales conservation. The future of the Western North Pacific
Gray whale is in immediate jeopardy but all whale populations are
facing a frightening array of environmental threats (3)," said Page.
"It's ironic that, although it is internationally acknowledged
that the world's oceans are seriously degraded, some nations are
still in denial as to the consequences these threats pose to whale
populations and these nations are still hell bent on a return to
commercial whaling," he concluded.
The IWC also called on Japan to stop commercial whaling which it
has continued year after year under the guise of 'scientific' research
in the Southern ocean and in the North Pacific ocean. It also urged
Norway to stop commercial whaling and not to resume the export of
whale products to Japan.
Notes:
(1) Japan publicly admitted to buying
votes of developing countries in return for Overseas Development
Assistance on ABC TV last week.
(2) See the new Greenpeace report "Whales
in a Degraded Ocean"
(3) Namibia and Gabon, who recently signed lucrative fisheries deals
with Japan, have now become observers of the IWC. It is expected
that by next year's IWC meeting in Shimonoseki, Japan, May 2002,
Namibia and Gabon will have become fully fledged members and will
vote in support of Japan and Norway's pro-whaling initiatives.
Read
more daily updates on the Greenpeace UK site
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