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| Whale |
BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, MARCH 3RD 2006 - The Australian Press is reporting what it says is a "real risk that a moratorium on commercial whaling will be overturned" as pro-whaling nations prepare for International Whaling Commission (IWC) Meeting to be held in St. Kitts.
Australia's delegate to the International Whaling Commission (IWC), Howard Bamsey, who is attending an Inter-Sessional meeting in Cambridge, England this week said that meeting is expected to do little other than extend the lengthy stalemate over how to monitor "scientific" whaling.
The England meeting is also laying the groundwork for the main 2006 meeting in St. Kitts in June when pro-whaling nations will try to overturn restrictions and return the harpoon boats to the world's oceans.
Bamsey said there would be no progress in Cambridge on a Revised Management Scheme (RMS) which seeks to put in place an inspection plan that would allow "scientific" whaling to proceed.
Japan, a pro-whaling nation, takes a number of whales each year in the name of scientific research.
"This is the 45th or 46th meeting on the RMS so there is nothing new under the sun," Mr. Bamsey said.
"There are pretty fundamental issues that will prevent any agreement because the gaps between countries are so great. We will oppose any RMS because its very clear for many countries the RMS is the step that will permit countries resuming commercial whaling," said Bamsey.
Pro-whaling nations are planning to go to the St. Kitts meeting in numbers, unlike the last meeting in Ulsan, South Korea, where only the non-appearance of some pro-whaling nations prevented their side prevailing on many resolutions.
"There is a very real risk the majority will not favour conservation," Mr. Bamsey said.
"The trend over recent years is that countries that favour whaling are joining in greater numbers than countries that favour conservation. Some would say the numbers already have turned. Depending on who turns up (in St Kitts), on many resolutions the numbers will be in favour of whaling," said Bamsey.
While Australia and other pro-conservation nations are bracing for defeat in St. Kitts, Mr. Bamsey said the longer-term trend would again ban whaling.
"If we lose this, it's only a battle," Mr. Bamsey said.
"We will not give up our position. We believe time is on our side and around the world opinion is changing, even in the whaling nations. If we go back to commercial whaling in anything like the way it was before, there would be a public outcry," said Bamsey.
