More news from IWC54 in Shimonoseki, Japan

21 May 2002

Sanctuary proposals fail but expose cracks in Caribbean block

Proposals to create whale sanctuaries in the South Pacific and South Atlantic oceans failed today at the IWC meeting in Shimonoseki. Although this is a disappointment for whale conservation, the votes exposed a weakness in the Caribbean bloc.

Greenpeace activists hold a banner at the entrance to the IWC meeting reading "Sanctuaries not quotas".

Six Caribbean nations receiving overseas development aid from Japan traditionally vote with Japan on every issue at the IWC. But today St Vincent and the Grenadines found their own voice and supported the sanctuary proposals by abstaining rather than voting no with Japan and the other bought countries.

The other Caribbean nations that usually voting with Japan on every issue and opposed the sanctuary proposals today are Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St Lucia and St Kitts and Nevis.

The vote for the South Pacific Whale Sanctuary failed to obtain its two thirds majority with a vote of 24 to 16 with five abstentions. This is however an improvement over last years vote of 20 for and 13 against.

The Japanese Whaling Association was also at the entrance to the IWC thi smorning with banners reading "Go Japan, resume commercial whaling" and claiming many whaling "are abundant".

Another surprising turn in the voting was Gabon’s performance which voted for the South Pacific Whale Sanctuary and against the South Atlantic Whale Sanctuary. Gabon is a new member to the IWC receiving aid from Japan and was expected to vote with Japan on every issue.

While the support for sanctuaries has increased, the Japanese Fisheries Agency’s vote buying has succeeded in blocking whale sanctuaries.

Many countries in the South Pacific and South Atlantic oceans benefit from whale watching and the adoption of these sanctuaries would encourage further economic development based on eco tourism and whale watching and secure the protection of whale for the future.

Some countries in the South Pacific ocean which support whale conservation and have growing whale watching industries have already created whale sanctuaries within their national waters. Papau New Guinea is the latest to create a whale sanctuary in their waters, following French Polynesia , the Cook Islands and Niue.

Help put pressure on countries bought by Japan

You can help put pressure on three of the newest countries bought by the Japanese government and ask them to stand up for whale conservation, not commercial whaling by sending a fax to the Foreign.

Mongolia is a land locked country and the latest to join the IWC. It is hard to image what there interest is in whaling except as a route to Japanese aid. Send a letter to their foreign minister.

Send a fax to the minister of Palau.

Send a fax to the minister of Benin in Africa.

Send a fax to Gabon.