Time for a Surge in Whale Conservation

Time for a surge in whale conservation
Posted on July 13, 2010
By Frederick M. O'Regan
IFAW/NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC BLOG

http://blogs.nationalgeographic.com/blogs/news/chiefeditor/2010/07/time-for-a-surge-in-whale-conservation.html

Our planet's great whales and those who care about them can breathe a bit easier following last month's meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC), in Agadir, Morocco. A controversial proposal advanced by the Chair and Vice Chair of the IWC would have rewritten rules to resuscitate the whaling industry in the 21st century.

My organization (International Fund for Animal Welfare) and other concerned groups and individuals worldwide fought hard to preserve the global moratorium on commercial whaling ban. Against considerable odds, we ultimately prevailed. But the battle to save these gentle giants continues and renewed conservation leadership on the part of the United States is urgently needed now if whales and the Whaling Commission are to survive.

After three years of closed-door negotiations and a desperate last-minute push by pro-deal countries, the Obama Administration and other conservation-minded governments wisely said no to a dangerous proposal to legalize commercial whaling and approve killing quotas in an international whale sanctuary around Antarctica.

This last minute reprieve is good news for whales and the Commission established to conserve them, but they are not yet saved. From marine pollution and habitat destruction, to entanglement in outmoded fishing gear, collisions with high speed vessels to noise pollution, ocean acidification to climate change, our planet's great whales face more threats today than ever before in history.

Successfully addressing these threats and finally ending whaling for commercial purposes by Japan, Iceland and Norway will require sustained, creative leadership from the United States and increased transparency at the IWC.

America is a nation proud of its whaling heritage, of "iron men in wooden ships" who went to sea and returned with the oil that lit the lamps of the western world. Our nation's migration from Yankee whaling to world leader in Whale Watching has been a uniquely American journey.

We also have a proud bipartisan tradition of international whale conservation leadership. The most important conservation achievements at the IWC, including the moratorium on commercial whaling adopted in 1982 and the creation of the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary in 1994, were only achieved with high-level support and engagement from the United States.

That same level of engagement is urgently needed now. In the immediate run-up to the Morocco IWC meeting, an extensive undercover investigation by the Times of London demonstrated specific acts of corruption at the IWC, including acting IWC Chair Anthony Liverpool of Antigua Barbuda accepting compensation for flights and accommodations at the meeting from agencies operating on behalf of the Government of Japan.

Despite these dramatic revelations, Liverpool remained as chair during the session. While governments cannot make policy based on press reports, it is critical that the United States move quickly in the wake of the Morocco meeting to dramatically improve the situation at the Whaling Commission and in the water for our planet's great whales.

Now is the time for a "conservation surge" to secure previous gains, finally end whaling for commercial purposes and put the IWC on course for a sustainable, conservation-based future.

So what will "change we can believe in" look like for whales and the IWC? Among other elements it will involve:

Engaging the new Prime Minister of Japan, Naoto Kan and enlightened ministers in his cabinet and other governments worldwide to quickly bring Japan's unlawful whaling in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary to an end.

Encouraging Japan, Iceland and Norway, the last three governments still killing whales for commercial purposes, to halt the international trade in whale products and join the emerging global consensus for whale conservation.

Restoring the primacy of the IWC Scientific Committee as the recognized international authority on whale conservation science and engaging its expertise to improve human understanding of whales and the many threats they face.

Working through the IWC Conservation Committee to advance state-of-the art conservation plans that protect threatened whale species and populations, and joining Australia, New Zealand and other nations in funding world-class, non-lethal research on whales and their habitats.

Reforming and recasting the IWC as a more transparent and accountable "International Whale Commission" with a clear and compelling conservation mandate for the 21st century.

This is an ambitious agenda but one that can be achieved. Rather than facilitating protracted negotiations to define terms under which commercial whaling will be permitted to continue, the time has come for the United States to lead the effort to finally bring it to an end. In that sense, our most important work has just begun.

Fred O'Regan is President of the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW www.ifaw.org).

The views expressed here are those of Fred O'Regan or the International Fund for Animal Welfare and not necessarily those of the National Geographic Society.

PLANET SAVE.COM

http://planetsave.com/blog/blog/2010/07/13/how-did-the-iwc-meeting-about-legalizing-whaling-of-endangered-species-turn-out/

How Did the IWC Meeting About Legalizing Whaling of Endangered Species Turn Out?

Written by Zachary Shahan

Updates on the International Whaling Committee decision about legalizing whaling of endangered species. Some organizations see the decision as a (temporary) win, some see it as a big failure.

We wrote a few articles leading up to a major International Whaling Commission (IWC) meeting that was supposed to involve a vote on whether or not to legalize whaling of endangered species with set quotas for certain countries (since the whaling was happening anyway).

The result of the meeting was clear (in that no action was taken), but the reactions by leading environmental organizations and media were mixed.

The IWC, deciding not to vote on the topic did a couple things: 1) it it didn’t give explicit support to whaling of endangered species, but 2) it didn’t offer up any real solutions to stop the whaling of these magnificent, endangered creatures.

World Wildlife Fund Calls the IWC Meeting a Disaster

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) was quite unhappy with this result. “WWF is extremely disappointed with the progress of this meeting,” said Wendy Elliott, WWF International Species Manager. “A compromise solution which brings illegal whaling under the control of the IWC was clearly needed, and governments at this meeting failed to find a way forward. Once again, they have put politics before science.” Furthermore, Wendy said, “This brings into question the integrity of the Commission and its ability to make meaningful decisions that benefit whale conservation.”

The WWF, along with many others, was also upset that the IWC meeting turned into a closed meeting, closing out the ears of the public:

The unprecedented decision to start discussions at this year’s IWC behind closed doors is fundamentally unacceptable. The issues discussed at the IWC are of enormous public interest.

We already had two years of closed doors negotiations leading up to this point, and now is the moment to open up a transparent and honest discussion. This could be the most important meeting for the IWC since the moratorium was agreed to in 1982 and the decision to exclude the civil society and media is a scandal.

The IWC also didn’t let NGO representatives speak until late in the meeting.

Care2 and Avaaz Consider the Meeting Result a Great Success

On the flip side from the WWF, Care2 wrote:

When reports surfaced of United States support for a plan to reopen commercial whaling after more than twenty years, many of you sprang into action. In joining efforts with IFAW, Greenpeace and WSPA in the fight against whaling worldwide, five petitions featured on Care2 gathered more than 110,000 signatures in the last year.

And it certainly paid off!

And Avaaz, in an email to its members, wrote:

We did it! The proposal to legalise whale killing went down in flames in Morocco — and our campaign helped to tip the balance.

In a few short weeks, we built the biggest whale-saving petition in history, signed by an extraordinary 1.2 million of us worldwide, and delivered it directly to key delegates at the International Whaling Commission meeting. In the end, the 24 year old whaling ban was upheld.

The pro-whaling lobby tried to use political favours to win a so called ‘compromise’ that amounts to a quota for hunting whales, but as tension grew in the closed-door talks, our massive petition became a top story on the BBC’s world news, and we worked with friendly negotiators and other allies to put pressure where it was most needed and draw greater global attention.

To see highlights of this victory and help take our campaigning together to the next level, click here now:

https://secure.avaaz.org/en/whales_reportback_3/?vl

Care2 and Avaaz still recognize that a lot needs to be done, though.

Avaaz writes:

But winning this battle won’t guarantee the whales’ safety yet — Japan’s “scientific” whaling fleet is already sailing out of harbour through IWC loopholes to kill hundreds of whales.

To win for good, we’ll need to campaign to strengthen and reform the IWC, and to mobilise in countries with pro-whaling governments like Japan — where the Cabinet knows Avaaz and we have changed environmental policy in the past.

We will keep you updated on this story as it progresses, but if you want to help protect the whales, consider joining Avaaz and donating to them or another such organization.




Mark J. Palmer
Associate Director
International Marine Mammal Project
Director, Wildlife Alive
Earth Island Institute
***************************
David Brower Center
2150 Allston Way, Suite 460
Berkeley, CA 94704
Mark P’s direct line: 510-859-9139
(530) 758-6022 (Davis Office)
IMMP fax: 510-859-9093


http://www.earthisland.org/immp
http://www.DolphinSafe.org/
http://www.SaveJapanDolphins.org/

See the new documentary about our work to save
dolphins: "The Cove", now available on DVD.

Go to our website to join the Cove Campaign:

http://www.savejapandolphins.org/

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"In the end, we will conserve only what we love;
We will love only what we understand:
And, we will understand only what we are taught."
Baba Dioum, Senegalese ecologist


Contact: Jack Ellwanger 831 667 2025 PO Box 144 Big Sur, CA 93920



"In the end, we will conserve only what we love;
We will love only what we understand:
And, we will understand only what we are taught."
Baba Dioum, Senegalese ecologist


Contact: Jack Ellwanger 831 667 2025 PO Box 144 Big Sur, CA 93920