Posts Tagged ‘IWC’
Moves to overturn whaling ban rejected
Last week, the 68th meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC, the body that regulates whale hunting) took place in Portorož, Slovenia. WDC has sent experts to participate in this forum for more than 25 years. For decades, whaling and whale conservation interests have clashed at the IWC and this year, once again, a motion…
Read MoreWill nationalism trump conservation in a ‘post-truth’ world?
Is the new US Administration’s apparent negative attitude toward environmental protection an open door for renewed Japanese commercial whaling? If you have read the WDC blog regularly, you will know that we have often discussed the issue of Japanese vote buying at the International Whaling Commission (IWC). Japan has even admitted to using overseas development…
Read MoreJapanese Antarctic whaling fleet sets sail
Unfazed by the results of this year´s meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC), which decided on a new process for so called “research” whaling, two Japanese whaling ships have left the port of Shimonoseki, Japan. The fleet of four whaling vessels and a crew of 185 in total, intends killing 333 minke whales under the guise…
Read MoreSo how was the IWC for you?
So IWC66 ends with a celebration of whale-themed ties, which, believe it or not, was won by a Japanese delegate. He was sporting a bright Moby Dick themed tie. so I guess that, as it’s a whaling themed tie, the individual concerned may be allowed back into Japan’s Far Seas Fisheries building where their whaling…
Read MoreDay Five of IWC 2016
Agenda Item 19 Finance and Administration The meeting opens slightly late due to technical difficulties. Bruno: regarding yesterday’s Agenda, I forgot to confirm that all delegates are happy for the Commission to endorse cooperation with other organisations? (General assent). Also apologizes to IGO/NGOs that he was ‘a little too fast’ in closing yesterday. The Chair…
Read MoreDay Four of IWC 2016
As we mentioned yesterday, this is not a complete transcript but is intended to give a brief overview on the day’s discussions. This is especially true today, when there was a break in the transmission from the meeting due to technical problems, so there may be gaps, for which we are sorry. For the really…
Read MoreDay Three (afternoon) of IWC 2016
Agenda Item 10 Cetacean Habitat 10.1 State of Cetacean Environment (SOCER) The Chair of the IWC Scientific Committee, Caterina, highlights elements of the Franciscana Action Plan. The Committee recommends that the stabilisation of the Brazilian dam is urgent and highlighted the critical need to adopt knowledge from disasters, such as deep–water accidents and to share…
Read MoreDay Three (Morning) of IWC 2016
This is not a full script, as whilst some comments are verbatim, others are paraphrased, but we endeavour to capture the essence of what was said. The morning shift So back to it, and the Chairman is asking for progress from drafting groups. Japan opened the meeting rather aggressively in the view of this observer,…
Read MoreDay Two of IWC 2016
This is meant as a brief update on progress and hurdles this morning at IWC66 in Slovenia. We shall update when we get another gap between sessions. IWC66/09 South Atlantic Whale Sanctuary The day started badly for the whales when the Schedule Amendment that would have established the South Atlantic Sanctuary (#SAWS) was defeated with…
Read MoreDenmark: Wanting their whale and eating it
So Denmark has submitted its opening statement to the IWC and I guess the question is, have they learned their lesson since the last meeting? One reading of the statement would suggest that Denmark wants to ‘have their cake’, and, as the old saying goes, quite literally, ‘eat it’. I asked in a previous post…
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