WWF charity officials feel that the international community should reject the latest deal proposed by the International Whaling Commission (IWC). Although the new compromise features a great deal of positive action, it appears that it may also potentially legitimise ‘scientific’ whaling by Japan in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary.
Species Trade and Policy Officer at WWF-UK, Heather Sohl, said –
It is imperative that whales in the Southern Ocean are fully protected. All whaling in the Southern Ocean, including Japanese commercial whaling thinly disguised as ‘scientific research’ should be eliminated immediately. Unfortunately, the newly proposed deal could actually make it even easier for Japan to continue taking whales from this ecologically sensitive and unique region.
Even though the IWC has banned commercial whaling since 1986, Japan, Norway and Iceland have found loopholes in the original treaty, such as scientific whaling, to kill up to 1,500 whales a year. The IWC has also provided a 50 million square kilometre whale sanctuary in the Southern Ocean surrounding the continent of Antarctica, which is a primary feeding habitat. Under the new proposal, this specially protected area would potentially be under threat due to the proposed rulings.
The new proposal will be discussed at a meeting of IWC countries in March, with plans to adopt the new policy at the next full IWC meeting in June this year. Now is the time for those countries that are against whaling to come together as a whole and show united support to halt the unnecessary killing of any more whales.
