Nations Scheme to Resume Commercial Whaling

Borgholm, Sweden (December 1, 2004) and Copenhagen, Denmark (April 1, 2005) - At the last International Whaling Commission (IWC) meeting in Sorrento, with pro-whaling nations making veiled threats to leave the IWC altogether, Resolution 2004-6 passed.  It agreed to re-establish a Working Group on the RMS and to proceed ‘expeditiously’ towards the completion of both the drafting of text and technical details of the RMS, with the aim of having the results ready for consideration, including possible adoption, at the next IWC meeting held in June 2005.

The first Working Group meeting was held in Borgholm, Sweden November 29 - December 1 where the terms of reference and suggestions for text were discussed at an open meeting.  Unfortunately, under IWC rules, we cannot report on the actual content of this meeting until it is made public at the IWC plenary meeting in June.  Subsequently, in closed sessions, a Small Drafting Group convened to begin work on the RMS text.  The 23-nation Working Group comprised five whaling nations, including the US where aboriginal subsistence whaling still occurs; six pro-whaling nations; five ‘shaky’ nations; six anti-whaling nations; and only one staunchly anti-RMS nation.  These are important distinctions.  Australia is the only nation who refuses to negotiate on the RMS on principle, and maintains that it will never endorse an RMS.  Other anti-whaling nations are negotiating, albeit reluctantly, and for the strictest, and, some might say impossible terms.  AWI sees any negotiation as capitulation and an opportunity to make poor compromises.  AWI was present in Sweden to rally support for a united stance against any move to introduce the RMS.  Our view has been and always will always be that we cannot both oppose whaling and set the rules for its resumption.

Copenhagen, Denmark (April 1, 2005) - The second intercessional Working Group meeting was held to further progress on the Revised Management Scheme.  We again cannot report on the actual content of the meeting except that the discussions ended in a deadlock.

There is no humane way to kill a whale.  To do so they would have to be rendered immediately insensible to pain prior to slaughter.  Whales are moving targets, being struck from a moving vessel in a constantly shifting sea environment.  Additionally, there is no way to reconcile for the stress and suffering endured by hunted whales, especially during long pursuits that oftentimes last many hours.  Furthermore, there is no regard for the welfare of ‘struck and lost’ whales who likely endure the agony of a prolonged death.

Whales are still endangered, some severely so, and whale populations have not yet recovered to historic, pre-exploitation levels.  Additionally, there is growing evidence that other human-caused impacts including ship-strikes and toxic and noise pollution are affecting whale populations.  Whalemeat has become increasingly dangerous due to the bioaccumulation of toxic substances and several whaling nations have issued health warnings over the consumption of whalemeat.  Coincidently, demand for whalemeat has declined, as evidenced recently by Japan having to reintroduce whalemeat into hundreds of school lunch programs.  Finally, the multi-million dollar whale-watching industry is proving far more lucrative than whale killing and is rapidly growing.  This alone should give notice to whaling nations that whaling has seen its day.  Sadly, intransigence is keeping whaling alive in the majority of whaling nations, and the IWC is allowing it to thrive.

AWI teamed up with the Cetacean Society International to oppose all moves to resume commercial whaling.  Our statement, Say No the RMS calls on individuals and groups to join together and spread the word that the whales have not been saved, that there are serious moves afoot to bring back commercial whaling.

AWI and CSI have been joined by over 80 other US organizations and have formed America's Whale Alliance, a coalition to oppose commercial whaling.  Led by Tami Drake and Jonathan Paul, this group toured the west coast of the United States in a whale bus in the Spring of 2005.

Visit the AWA website for a complete listing of tour dates and more great photos.