06/24/10
Major win for whales
IWC Ban on whaling to stay - whales safe as deal to allow commercial whaling fails, according to AMCS
Attempts to end the global ban on whaling have failed. The 62nd Annual meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) has rejected the so-called 'compromise proposal' that would have done nothing less than legitimise commercial whaling for the first time in 24 years. The Australian Marine Conservation Society welcomes this major victory for whale conservation.
"This disastrous deal is dead in the water. It is now time to throw the whaling commission a lifeline to drag it from the troubled waters it has found itself in," said Darren Kindleysides, Director of the Australian Marine Conservation Society.
The IWC is set to resume discussions on the future of whaling at next year's meeting after a one year 'cooling off period'. This saves the ban on whaling, at least for a year.
"We congratulate the Australian Government for leading the successful fight to save the whaling moratorium. Without their efforts the whaling ban would have ended in tatters on the meeting floor," Kindleysides continued.
While the proposal failed, there was agreement that the IWC needs reform to improve its effectiveness as an international whale conservation body. Closing the loopholes that allow whaling nations to hunt hundreds of whales, despite the ban on whaling, is the immediate priority.
"The whaling ban has been saved; it is now time to save the whaling commission. The future of the IWC lies in whale conservation. We call on all governments to work tirelessly to end the killing of whales in their hundreds in the name of science. The IWC must also tackle head-on allegations of corruption and vote-buying that have harpooned its reputation this week," concluded Kindleysides.
"This disastrous deal is dead in the water. It is now time to throw the whaling commission a lifeline to drag it from the troubled waters it has found itself in," said Darren Kindleysides, Director of the Australian Marine Conservation Society.
The IWC is set to resume discussions on the future of whaling at next year's meeting after a one year 'cooling off period'. This saves the ban on whaling, at least for a year.
"We congratulate the Australian Government for leading the successful fight to save the whaling moratorium. Without their efforts the whaling ban would have ended in tatters on the meeting floor," Kindleysides continued.
While the proposal failed, there was agreement that the IWC needs reform to improve its effectiveness as an international whale conservation body. Closing the loopholes that allow whaling nations to hunt hundreds of whales, despite the ban on whaling, is the immediate priority.
"The whaling ban has been saved; it is now time to save the whaling commission. The future of the IWC lies in whale conservation. We call on all governments to work tirelessly to end the killing of whales in their hundreds in the name of science. The IWC must also tackle head-on allegations of corruption and vote-buying that have harpooned its reputation this week," concluded Kindleysides.
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