This day ended with a reception hosted by Australia for the purpose of explaining the non-lethal scientific programme it is engaged in with other Southern Hemisphere countries. The research is wide-ranging, creative in the technology it uses, and very costly. Developing acoustic techniques for tracking and counting blue whales is an example. It’s exciting science, and a great demonstration of the real commitment Australia is making towards forging a future for the IWC that focuses on whales, not whaling. In footing the bill, Australia is putting its money where its mouth is, proving its commitment to one and all. The reception turned into a bit of a party, partly because wine & beer were provided along with water & soft drinks, but also because there was a tangible sense of relief among those present – pro-whale delegates and NGOs – who had emerged at the end of a long day knowing for sure that legally sanctioned commercial whaling is not about to start again. The moratorium on commercial whaling is safe for the moment. Given the extreme jeopardy the moratorium appeared to be facing when this meeting began, the knowledge was cause for celebration. It’s not a stretch to say that some of those present were over the moon.
It actually took just moments at the beginning of this day for the certainty that the “deal” was dead to emerge. Chairman Livingstone, in his opening remarks, which reviewed the 10 intercessional meetings that had been held since the Commission met in Alaska 3 years ago, and the work that was done over the last 2 days, quickly revealed that many differences between parties remain unsettled, trade and “scientific” whaling among them. The tone of his comments was dour – the process had been useful in that exchanges had been cordial and frank, but no consensus had been reached. Japan led off the commentary, saying that it was willing to compromise to some extent, but unwilling to commit to zero after 10 years of legal whaling in the Antarctic. The next 3 hours were occupied by statements from more than a score of member countries, which essentially reiterated positions they had long held. By the time the meeting broke up for lunch, the divide between pro and anti whalers seemed as deep as ever. Pretty much everyone praised the process, and the attempt, but apart from New Zealand and the USA, the anti whaling side seemed as entrenched as ever, and Japan could not bring itself to step over the line.
Following a 2-hour break, the meeting got onto routine business, starting the review of the Scientific Committe report. This is usually where IWC meetings start, but today was the afternoon of Day 3, with little time left and a long way to go. We learned that though the assessment of minke whales in the Antarctic is incomplete, the decline in their numbers is probably real and that we should know the magnitude of the decline by next year. Japan thinks that whatever number is agreed next year, there are plenty of minkes, and the small numbers it is killing won’t make any difference to the population. Most humpback populations are increasing, though not all. The right whales of Patagonia are experiencing heavy mortality, which is cause for considerable concern. Western grey whales remain in serious trouble, with a tiny remnant population facing dire threats from seismic exploration in critical habitat near the Sakhalin Islands. It will not be surprising if the species soon goes extinct, like the baiji, which has finally disappeared altogether, and on the IWC’s watch.
Equally dismaying was the way in which welfare issues were dealt with. Usually, they are at least on the agenda of IWC meetings, though short-changed, but this year they aren’t even on the list of topics, and the committee that deals with them has not even met once during the past year. It was encouraging to hear the UK offer to conduct a workshop on welfare issues before next year’s meeting, but that did little to allay the sense that the suffering whales experience at the hands of whalers matters little to the IWC. About the only bright spot in this zone is the attention that entanglements, which can involve enormous suffering, are getting. There is hope in this development, though not for the hundreds of whales that are entangled annually in Japanese and Korean fishing nets, and invariably end up dead. Regarded as “bycatch” they are sold.
Tomorrow, it must be said, is going to be a very difficult day. Apparently, the USA will try to amend the Schedule so that Aboriginal Subsistence quotas are locked in for the next 10 years. Doing so will require a 3/4 majority vote. Ordinarily, this might not be difficult to achieve, given that there is a great deal of sympathy for aboriginal needs, and the Commission generally gives aboriginal whalers what they ask for. On this occasion, however, the situation has become complicated. Denmark, on behalf of Greenland, has inserted 10 humpback whales into the table of permitted aboriginal kills. There will be some sympathy for Greenland’s request in the room, but evidence that meat from whales killed for “aboriginal” purposes ends up on supermarket shelves and hotel dinner plates will also create skepticism. That may lead to resistance.
If a fight breaks out tomorrow, one casualty may be the brief opportunity NGOs have been granted to address the meeting. This was supposed to happen at the end of today, but today ran late, and the chairman has pushed the NGO slot to the end of tomorrow. Odds are on tomorrow running late too.
Posted by Paul Spong
Some story links:
http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/jun2010/2010-06-23-01.html
http://www.3news.co.nz/IWC-meeting-Day-three/tabid/1414/articleID/162513/Default.aspx
