Date: Fri, 17 Oct, 1997

Preview of the Major Issues

49th Annual General Meeting of the

INTERNATIONAL WHALING COMMISSION

Monaco 20th to 24th October 1997

Japan

  • Scientific Permits - During the 48th AGM a resolution was passed requesting Japan to "refrain from issuing a special permit for the take of Southern Hemisphere Minke whales, particularly in the Southern Ocean Sanctuary.

    Japan has yet to officially confirm their take of Minke whales during this past season but are expected to have killed 440 whales within the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary. More than 1,000 tonnes of whale meat flensed from these whales has already made its way into the Japanese whale meat market.

  • An additional 100 Minkes have been taken again this year from the Northwestern North Pacific.

    Japans unwillingness to cease issuing permits will certainly be discussed again this meeting.

  • Small-Type whaling - For the tenth successive year, Japan will request an allocation of Minke whales for four of its coastal villages to "relieve the hardship" experienced in these communities since the Moratorium. The proposal for an ³interim relief quota" of 50 Minke whales was defeated last year.

    Japan did succeed in having the commercial, socio-economic and cultural needs of these communities reviewed for discussion at this year's meeting.

Norway

  • Commercial Whaling - Like Japan, Norway paid no heed to Resolutions made last year. In particular, to the Resolution calling on Norway to "reconsider its objection to the moratorium and to halt immediately all whaling activities under its jurisdiction". The Resolution also called on Norway to "maintain its policy against the export of whale meat and products" in light of evidence of illegal trading.

    In defiance the Norwegian government issued an increased quota of 580 Minke whales over last year.

    A stronger stance on Norway's actions seems appropriate for this years meeting but remains to be seen.

Humane Killing

  • It is expected that the contentious "electric lance" a secondary killing method will again be a topic of discussion. As in previous years the lance's effectiveness will be a hot topic. The whaling nations insisting that the electric lance is the most effective secondary killing method available while recent research concluding that rather than being effective, the lance "is likely to cause extra pain and suffering to an already distressed animal".

  • The Commission may reconvene the Working Group on Humane Killing.

Whale Watching

  • The Commission is likely to continue its interest in the growth and development of whale watching internationally. The Commission has endorsed the Scientific Committee's recommended priorities for further work in the area of approach distances, activity limitations and platforms, and also that the educational, economic and social development aspects of whale watching should be discussed further at this year's meeting.

Small Cetaceans

  • Debate over the Commission's "competence" concerning small cetaceans will probably punctuate the discussion again this year. Many of the countries that question the IWC's involvement are also those who have contentious small cetacean fisheries or have poor cetacean management track records.

  • Current schedule for small cetacean work includes:
    • 1997 - review the small cetaceans in African coastal waters; further consider criteria for assessing the status of Harbour porpoise populations; review the Striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba) globally.
    • 1998 - review the Beluga and Narwhal globally; review bycatch mitigating measures.
    • 1999 - review the genera Tursiops (Bottlenose dolphins) and Lissodelphis (Rightwhale dolphins) globally.

Aboriginal Subsistence Whaling

  • Subsistence whaling quotas remained unchanged following the 1996 meeting, with the exception of an extension of the current quota for St Vincent and the Grenadines.
  • Four aboriginal Subsistence quotas fall due for review this year: the eastern North Pacific Gray whales, east Greenland Minke whales, west Greenland Minke whales, west Greenland Fin whales.
  • Last year the Russian Federation argued strongly for an additional five Bowhead whales for the Chukotka natives. It was pointed out that the Chukotka were not presently utilising their full Gray whale quota and that Bowheads were the most endangered whale species.
  • A new application for a quota of five Gray whales for the Mukah Indian Tribe in the north-western United States was withdrawn last year after much debate. The proposal is expected to be put again this year.

Other Issues

  • The Revised Management Scheme (RMS) Is likely to be as contentious and as laborious as in previous years.
  • Whale Stock Assessment, the Southern Ocean Sanctuary and Scientific Research are other major issues on this year's agenda.

by Paul Hodda - Australian Whale Conservation Society
Edited by Graham Clarke - Whales on the Net



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