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Whaling commission meeting to debate commercial hunting resumption

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The International Whaling Commission, a treaty organization grouping 80 countries, was to meet on Monday in Chile to debate a possible resumption of commercial whale-hunting.

If the IWC lifts its 12-year ban on whaling, it would seriously deepen divisions between member states opposed to the hunts and those -- chiefly Iceland, Japan and Norway -- in favor.

Environmental groups including the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) and Greenpeace warned ahead of the meeting that Japan wanted to catch whales in four of its coastal areas for non-scientific ends.

Milko Schvartzman, a regional Greenpeace coordinator, said the position Japan would take during the talks was unclear but that Tokyo would likely press on with its efforts to resume commercial whaling.

Japan kills some 1,000 whales a year using a loophole in the IWC moratorium on commercial whaling that allows "lethal research" on the ocean giants. Norway and Iceland defy the moratorium altogether.

The week-long IWC meeting in Santiago is to also review whale and dolphin populations, and the creation of a whale sanctuary in the south Atlantic.

The idea of a whale reserve was put forward by the "Buenos Aires Group," a union of several Latin American countries backing cetacean research and conservation.

It seeks to establish an ocean domain in which whale hunting is always prohibited and whale-watching tourism encouraged.

Chile is also expected to announce a own whale sanctuary in territorial waters it claims up to 4,500 kilometers (2,700 miles) off shore.

The IWC adopted a progressively more modern stance since it was launched more than 50 years ago, as most species have seen their numbers reduced by over 80 percent during the industrial hunting era.

However, in 1992 the IWC relaxed a worldwide moratorium on commercial whaling instituted six years earlier, and in 2006 the IWC narrowly approved a motion declaring that the moratorium "is no longer necessary."
jefftego

32 responses // Whaling commission meeting to debate commercial hunting resumption

  • I wish someone would shoot a spear into those bastard hunters.
    Neghie
    1 response to this
  • There is a lot of debate around this issue. Japan, Iceland and Norway are lobbying for commercial hunting.

    Japan has stated that the purpose of conserving whales is to use them for commercial purposes. Their right to exist is based on our usage. Not much respect for a highly intelligent mammal that evolved 40 million years ago.
    jefftego
  • how is it that two countries can just ignore a law for 12 years and hunt whales....how is that allowed? how is that just overlooked...how is it that they get away with that...
    MissAmanda
    2 responses to this
  • http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/articl...
    Japan has threatened to resume commercial whaling after a suspension of more than 20 years, in a gesture of defiance towards conservationists and anti-whaling governments around the world.

    The threat was issued alongside a demand for progress in negotiations at the body meant to act as a forum for mediation on the issue, the International Whaling Commission (IWC).

    In light of the threat, some now fear that the IWC may be in danger of total collapse unless it can rebuild its function as a constructive forum for debate on the whaling issue.
    jefftego
    1 response to this
  • watch this comment being used here, here, here, here and here
    Let’s allow a species to recover, and then we’ll knock it right back down.
    VigorousAlloy
  • Any country that wants to hunt whales should be forced to implement breeding programs. I definately support the Japanese peoples right to hunt these animals but they must be forced to do it in a sustainable way. The oceans will soon be lifeless if we humans don't provide a helping hand.
    observer2121
  • http://www.seashepherd.org/whales/
    Support organizations like Greenpeace and Sea Shepherd, who put their lives at risk to protect whales and other ocean life.
    uroborus8
    1 response to this
  • I love Japan and all, but they seem on the wrong end of the spectrum when it comes to these sea animals. Pretty disgusting.
    Disable
  • Chile, host of this week's International Whaling Commission, seems to have the right idea:

    Chile declared a permanent ban on whaling in its waters on Monday, as conservation groups feared an International Whaling Commission meeting it is hosting will fail to halt world No.1 whaler Japan.

    Speaking at a former whale processing plant that Chile closed in 1967, President Michelle Bachelet also sent a bill to Congress proposing a whale sanctuary along Chile's coastline and declared the whale a national monument.

    "We have chosen this place, the Quintay whale plant, to highlight the Chile and the world of the past, in which there was no awareness of social and environmental consequences," Bachelet said.

    "Chile ... wants to give the world a clear sign of its will to protect whales in its waters," she added. "This initiative is a pledge to the world of the future."

    Chile's whaling moratorium had been set to expire in 2025.


    http://www.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUSN232...
    jefftego
  • Jeff, how can we pressure Japan to stop whaling? We must create a Japanese anime character that appeals ot young girls in Japan -- the ones who seem to drive popular culture. And from there, hope to sway Japanese opinion against whaling.

    Hello Whalie, anyone?
    Julie_Soller
    3 responses to this
  • while we're at it, let's save the cows,pigs,chickens,etc. They want to live too, not be eaten.
    Revolution9562
  • i love cows pigs and chickens way to much, but you environmentalist can keep the whales. I like their songs!
    clayjj05
  • i'm assuming clayjj05 your love for cows,pigs,chickens means you don't eat them! Other than that....we're talking hypocrisy.
    Revolution9562
  • LOL I would hane to agree here .As someone that would no touch meat, I concurr :-)
    arlynbaxter
  • UMM, GOOD WHALE STEK RIGHT NOW WOULD HIT THE SPOT
    jeromecon
  • I'm not an eco person but why do people make such a f****** effort to save whales when our shark populations are nearly gone and sharks are the ones who truly keep ecological balance?
    SeetherFan
    1 response to this
  • http://www.skinnybitch.net/kitch.html
    I think the Whales' deaths are a tragic loss to everyone on Earth. We should stop it at all costs. These gentle giants are old souls who sing to their children as they migrate up and down the oceanic highways. They have emotions and great intelligence. They should be protected. There are other ways to get meat or fish in humane and sustainable ways or to get nutrition not through animals. I am now a Vegan... or almost a Vegan..This has been a great experience all around to me. My cholesterol was 300 and I am sure when I get it tested soon it will be very within normal range. I feel younger, less puffy and am in better shape. I got a book called Skinny Bitch and just bought the cook book called Skinny Bitch in the Kitch..bad name because it make you think they are promoting unhealthy choices to get skinny. That is not the case. But it is a great resource for Vegans. not for those easily offended because it has lots of swearing and tells the story like it is not like the media presents it to us to sell us on ideas that we need meat and dairy to be healthy.
    CarolynGillis
    2 responses to this
  • http://www.tofutti.com/
    This Tofutti stuff is great..better than dairy.
    I live off of it.
    It makes being a Vegan and trying to save the planet more fun and delicious.
    CarolynGillis
    1 response to this
  • Why? who really needs whale products?
    SlyBuzz
  • Can anyone find a list of companies that utilize the whale products? Or companies that do business with the whaling companies? Vote with your $ in ways that put pressure on those that allow the whaling in defiance of law (not to mention ethics).
    sindlinger

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