Date: Wed, 22 Jan, 1997
Russia not planning to resume whale hunting

MOSCOW, (Itar-Tass) - There are no facts proving the increase of the population of the white whale in Northern seas. This is why the resumption of whale hunting on a commercial scope is out of the question, Alexei Yablokov, head of the Interdepartmental Commission for Ecological Security under the Russian Security Council, believes.

Commenting on the recent speculations about a possibility of the resumption of whale hunting, which was totally stopped by the Soviet Union in 1987, he said today in an interview with Tass that "there are no grounds for such speculations."

Sources at the Russian State Committee for Fishing also told Tass that at present Russia is not ready for the resumption of whale hunting either technically, or economically, because during the past ten years the whaling fleet became obsolete.

Yablokov refuted statements that the white whale eats too much cod-fish, which may upset its population balance. The white whale does not eat this variety of fish at all, he explained.

According to his information, the population of only one type of whale the minke whale has shown a perceptible increase of late. Its habitat in the South Antarctic, which is a preserve zone. Whale hunting even for scientific purposes is forbidden there.

An international convention on whaling was signed in 1946. In accordance with the convention, the International Whaling Committee was set up, whose activities are aimed at eliminating any opportunity for the extermination of whales. Signatories to the convention agreed with the need for preserving the natural resources and confined whale hunting only to those types of whales which can still be hunted on a commercial scope. A quota for whale hunting was set for every hunting season. At present only whaling for scientific purposes is permitted.



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