14 June
2006 - The Australian Minister for the Environment
and Heritage, Senator Ian Campbell, will lead
an Australian delegation to the 58th annual meeting
of the International Whaling Commission (IWC)
commencing this weekend in the Caribbean.
Leaving today for St Kitts and
Nevis in the Caribbean, Senator Campbell said
the meeting of 70 nations was critical for countries,
like Australia, that were committed to whale conservation.
“Pro-whaling nations will be
seeking to gain a simple majority at the meeting
and using that majority to legitimise so-called
'scientific' whaling and mount a gradual return
to commercial whaling,” Senator Campbell said.
“We cannot underestimate the
challenge ahead of us. This year could see pro-whaling
nations turning back the clock on whale conservation,
as they warned last year.
“After a narrow win by pro-conservation
nations at last year's IWC, another tough battle
is ahead with this year's meeting likely to be
the most difficult yet.
“The outcome of the meeting
will hang on just one or two votes.”
If pro-whaling nations have
a majority at the meeting, they could force votes
in favour of:
the resumption of commercial
whaling;
more support for scientific whaling;
meetings becoming a 'closed shop' with non-government
organisations shut out;
secret ballots and the removal of transparency
from the decision-making process; and
the removal of whale conservation work from the
IWC agenda.
“We are very concerned that pro-whaling nations
could achieve a simple majority for the first
time since the moratorium on commercial whaling
came into force in 1986,” Senator Campbell said.
“While a three-quarters majority
is required for a resumption of commercial whaling
– and this is not likely to happen immediately
– pro-whaling nations could make some significant
inroads towards a move back to the days when the
random slaughter of whales was commonplace.
“The Australian Government will
fight strongly against any moves to resume commercial
whaling and legitimise scientific whaling.
saveourwhales.gov.au
“At this weekend's meeting I
will be working hard to stop the pro-whaling nations
from turning the IWC into a forum that is simply
a rubber stamp for whale harvesting.
“The meeting will be tough –
I don't deny that. The balance of votes between
the pro-conservation and pro-whaling blocs is
knife-edged.
“This weekend's IWC discussions
will be just part of a battle that will extend
beyond this meeting.
“I will continue the fight until
we are successful in seeing this unnecessary slaughter
of whales relegated to history where it belongs,”
he said. / Rob Broadfield
