Bridges Trade BioRes • Volume 7 • Number 3 • 16th February 2007

International Whaling Body in Crisis

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The majority of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) membership chose to boycott a recent Japanese-sponsored meeting seeking to re-commercialise whaling. According to observers, the meeting — which took place against the backdrop of clashes on the sea between Japanese whalers and international anti-whaling activists — demonstrates the escalating crisis rocking the global whaling body.

Japan had invited all members of the IWC for en informal meeting from 13-15 February in Tokyo to discuss IWC reform — namely, suggestions for managing limited commercial whaling. However, only 34 out of 72 members attended, with anti-whaling nations such as the US, Australia, and New Zealand in boycott.

“One of our goals is to improve the atmosphere of the IWC, which has become one of confrontation,” said Minoru Morimonto, Japanese commissioner for the IWC. He lamented the fact that a number of key members boycotted the meeting, and warned that the IWC was on the verge of collapse.

There has been a moratorium on commercial whaling since 1986. Whaling nations Japan, Norway and Iceland, have continued to hunt under scientific research programmes. The meat is sold for consumption, and conservationists claim that the scientific programmes are used as a guise to continue whaling.

For several years, Japan has sought to promote a change in IWC policy from a complete ban to allowing whaling at a level of “sustainable use.” According to Japan, certain whale species have recovered enough to sustain a limited hunt. At the 2006 annual meeting of the IWC, pro-whaling nations managed to pass a declaration calling the international moratorium on whaling “no longer necessary” (see Bridges Trade BioRes, 30 June 2006, http://www.ictsd.org/biores/06-06-30/story2.htm).

The reform suggestions from the Tokyo meeting will be presented at the next IWC annual summit, to be held from 28-31 May in Anchorage, Alaska this year.

“Japan hosts whaling meet as anti-whalers boycott,” REUTERS, 14 February 2007; “Whaling activists withdraw threat to ram Japanese fleet,” REUTERS, 14 February 2007; “Australia relies on whaling data from Japanese,” NEW ZEALAND HERALD, 15 February 2007; “Japanese whaling ship on fire,” THE WORLD TODAY, 15 February 2007; “Fractured whaling body could collapse - delegates,” REUTERS, 15 February 2007; “Japan Says IWC Must Improve or it May Quit Group,” REUTERS, 16 February 2007.