St. Kitts Caribbean Islands: Thirty two countries including India have voted in favor of the 1986 global moratorium on whaling at the recently concluded 58th meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) in St. Kitts in the Caribbean. 

From June 16 to 20, IWC representatives from 66 countries debated the contentious issue of commercial whaling as a result of a strong global protest against the sustained whaling by Japan and other countries. The meeting also discussed host of other issues facing the conservation of cetaceans.

Although, Japan and its pro-whaling allies including Norway, Iceland, Korea, Cambodia, Morocco etc. among 33 countries have signed the “St. Kitts and Nevis Declaration” after having won by a simple majority, 33 votes as against the 32 votes of the anti-whaling nations, it failed to bring a consensus among the opposing members on several key policy proposals. The most active anti-whaling countries include Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and other European countries.

Representatives of the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) and other non-governmental organizations who were present at the meeting had called for support from the IWC members against the commercial hunting of whales. They have been campaigning for sustainable use of humpbacks and other large cetaceans in the oceans.

Dr. Joth Singh, Director of Wildlife and Habitat Protection of the IFAW said, “Despite the win by pro-whalers on the declaration vote, the conservation community won on several key policy votes. Tragically, though, 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 – and nothing happened this week at the IWC to change that.”

The twenty years old global moratorium on whaling appears to hang on a delicate balance despite the fact that several important issues were raised in support of the sustainable use of cetaceans by the anti-whaling nations.

IFAW Asia Pacific Regional Director Mick McIntyre said: “Whale watching is a win-win solution for whales and people in the Pacific Island Region, bringing terrific economic opportunities to these coastal communities. It’s the 21st century alternative to whaling – a truly sustainable use of whales.”

Australia’s Minister for the Environment and Heritage, Ian Campbell said: “I have seen the build up, from a standing start, of Australia’s whale watching industry. Having just completed my third visit to the Pacific, I am delighted to see it now beginning to build up there. The employment and economic benefits have the potential to transform lives and nations. Japan’s JARPA II whale hunt could destroy any hope of this opportunity.”

A report on the growing whale watching industry across the pacific released at the IWC meeting by Australia suggests that the region’s whale watching activities have increased 45% for the period 1998-2005, with a total of 109,540 whale watchers in 2005 alone. The report also found that the Cook Islands, French Polynesia and Guam experienced the strongest annual average growth rates; and that new whale watching operations have emerged recently in Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa & Solomon Islands.

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-whaling members helped carry the declaration vote with 33 for, 32 against, and 1 abstention.

Humpback whale is a vulnerable species listed under the IUCN. This species is also listed in the appendix I of the CITES.

IFAW is an international partner of the Wildlife Trust of India which works to improve the welfare of the wild and domestic animals throughout the world by reducing commercial exploitation of animals, protecting wildlife habitats and assisting animals in distress.

Next year’s meeting is set to take place in Anchorage, Alaska, May 28-31, 2007 and will be led by the IWC’s newly appointed chairman, Dr. Bill Hogarth, current U.S. IWC Commissioner.