IWC meeting ends in favour of whaling

The meeting was marked by the passing of a vote on the “St Kitts and Nevis Declaration” outlining the pro-whaling position of 30 IWC member nations who had signed onto it. After losing several key policy proposals, pro-whaling Japan was quick to herald this as a win.

Many anti-whaling member nations, though, were equally quick to point out that the declaration was non-binding to member nations.

Several nations attended the IWC for the first time this year. Cambodia, Marshall Islands, Mali, Gambia and Togo came carrying the pro-whaling banner while Israel came opposed to commercial whaling.

The arrival of these pro-wahling members helped carry the declaration vote with 33 for, 32 against and one abstention.

Dr Joth Singh, IFAW director of Wildlife and Habitat Protection, said despite the win by the pro-whalers on the declaration vote, the conservation community won several key policy votes.

“Tragically, though,” he said, “we continue to lose on the body count. Japan is killing more whales in the open sea each year — more than 1,000 this year alone.” He said IFAW would continue working around the world to advance and address important conservation issues facing whales and ocean habitats through all the avenues that are available.

“Including continuing to attend the annual meetings of the International Whaling Commission,” he ended.