18/06/2005 - Australian
Minister for the Environment and Heritage,
Senator Ian Campbell, will today leave for
Korea to attend the 57th annual meeting of
the International Whaling Commission (IWC)
to be held in Ulsan from 20-24 June.
Senator Campbell said this was a critical
meeting because of reported plans to increase
the number of whales taken from the world's
oceans under the guise of scientific whaling,
as well as a proposal for a Revised Management
Scheme, under which commercial whaling could
be reintroduced.
One of the key items to be discussed at next
week's IWC meeting is a proposal from pro-whaling
interests for a Revised Management Scheme
(RMS) for commercial whaling.
The RMS consists of a series of management
measures (including compliance arrangements,
catch limits, and inspection and observation
schemes) to be implemented should IWC members
ever agree to the resumption of commercial
whaling.
"Australia will go to Korea in vigorous
pursuit of a permanent ban on commercial whaling.
We oppose commercial whaling on the basis
it is unnecessary, unjustified and inhumane.
We will oppose any RMS and will not endorse
an RMS should one be agreed," he said.
Senator Campbell said he expected the vote
this year to be very close - too close to
call.
The other key issue for Australia at this
year's IWC meeting is the submission of Japan's
new Antarctic scientific whaling plan - known
as JARPA II.
"We are very concerned about Japan's
plans to double its take of Antarctic minke
whales and to target threatened humpback and
fin whales," Senator Campbell said.
"For example, the rare white humpback
whale Migaloo - who has delighted Australians
this week as he made his way along the coast
- could be at risk.
"Australia will call for an end to lethal
research on whales (so called "scientific
whaling") and for future research to
be limited to modern and humane non-lethal
methods.”
