Update on IWC Plenary Sessions

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Environment Articles

Friday, 06 July 2012 02:30

By press release

Day 2 of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) Plenary was as heated as day one when the matter of renewal of catch limits for Aboriginal Subsistence Whaling came up for discussion.

Notwithstanding the hardline views of the anti-subsistence use group that whales should not be used for human consumption under any circumstances, this form of whaling is permissible by the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling (ICRW) subject to oversight and review by the Scientific Committee of the IWC.

The Untied States of America, the Russian Federation and St. Vincent and the Grenadines submitted a joint proposal (essentially a scheduled amendment) for the renewal of their current catch limits for the period 2013 – 2018. The total catch which these countries seek to harvest over the six-year period are: USA - 744, Russia - 336, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines - 24.
 
In 2007, Commissioners previously approved a similar request to cover a five-year period which ends in 2012. Very few people in the region are aware that the USA has a long history of whaling, and continues to engage in the harvesting of whales and engages in selling whale products on a commercial basis. A visit to the state of Alaska would show just how profitable the whaling industry has become to the US economy with the diverse range of products on offer for sale.
 
The USA, like the Russian Federation and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, presented a solid and justifiable case as to why their joint request should be approved by the body. Its presentation was supported by representatives of the Alaskan Eskimo and Makah tribes.

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Interestingly, the Scientific Committee, in reporting to the plenary, advised unequivocally that the requests by all three could be approved as the existing catch limits were sustainable and would not harm existing whale stocks.
 
However, despite the findings and recommendations of the Scientific Committee, the Buenos Aires group (consisting of Latin American nations) insisted on having the proposal de-linked – preferring instead to have the requests considered on a country-by-country basis.

They were strident in their assertions that they would not approve any request made by St. Vincent and the Grenadines, while expressing unqualified support for the requests of both the USA and Russia. They were disingenuous in their comments concerning this OECS country and unrelenting in their efforts to have the requests considered individually.
 
However, the Americans and the Russians were equally adamant that the requests should be considered as one package at which point, the Buenos Aires group forced the Commission to vote on their motion of whether to adopt the proposed quotas.
 
The vote succeeded in achieving the three-fourths majority required to effect a scheduled amendment by 48-10.  The proposal was therefore accepted and each country received approval for their quota. The issue of catch renewals for these countries will come before the Commission at its meeting in 2018.
 
A decision on the Aboriginal Subsistence Whaling quota for Greenland was postponed until later in the meeting.

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