The South Atlantic sanctuary lost in the Political Ocean
Press release n°2
66th IWC – International Whaling Commission
Portoroz – Slovenia
24-28 october 2016
Hope of seeing the international community declare the South Atlantic Ocean to be a domain where whales and sperm whales are protected from pollutions, collisions, industrial fishing and acoustic chaos is sinking in the quick sand of political alliances.
The South Atlantic represents slightly more than 10% of the world ocean. It is home or harbors temporarily according to migration periods 51 cetacean species, including blue whales, fin whales, Minke whales, Antarctic Minke whales, southern right whales, humpback whales and sperm whales.
IWC – International Whaling Commission, Portoroz – Press release n° 1
Press release n° 1 – Opening
66th International Whaling Commission
Portoroz – Slovenia
24-28 October 2016
Opening
On the table of the 88 Member States, no whale meat, but several important topics for their future, the future of the order Cetacea and of the Commission itself.
Sanctuary
Sanctuaries are geographically defined areas in the world ocean where commercial whaling is prohibited and will remain even if the commercial whaling suspension entered into force in 1986 was eventually to be lifted. The Indian Ocean sanctuary was established in 1979 on a proposal of the Seychelles. The Southern Ocean (Antarctic) sanctuary was adopted in 1994. However, given the current state of the IWC founding text , some Member-States may lead scientific whaling with lethal methods in contradiction with the ethics and purpose of the sanctuary.
Ominous before IWC (Update Oct. 28, 2016)
66th IWC – International Whaling Commission
Portoroz – Slovenia
24-28 October 2016
Ominous :
- October 27, 2016. Daly, California. The male blue whale with skull fractures runs aground at the foot of the cliffs. 65 ft in length.
On the TRAIL – Special Edition. 66th IWC – International Whaling Commission
On the Trail – Special Edition. 66th IWC
For 3 years, the NGO Robin des Bois (Robin Hood) has been publishing in French and in English the quarterly bulletin “On the Trail” on the poaching and smuggling of animal species threatened with extinction. Information come from a thousand sources, institutions, local medias and NGOs on the spot throughout the world. Each event is analyzed, related with a maximum of practical details and further developments are traced through time.
Sperm whale is the great forgotten one in the work of the IWC at Portoroz. Yet, in Europe the most prestigious, the most mysterious, the most performing, the most literary and the most coveted among cetaceans is on the front line of the casualties, of those waste-suffocated and those disorientated by vibrations and noises from offshore activities, maritime traffic and submarine explosions of ammunition.
Viva Botswana and boo to the European Union, chant the elephants
Press release n°6
CITES – Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora
17th Conference of the Parties. Johannesburg – South Africa
September 24 to October 5, 2016
At least 26 elephants were beheaded end of August in the Chobe National Park in north Botswana and at the heart of an immense territory where 150,000 no border elephants are roaming. Botswana didn’t wait for this massacre to understand that a new situation- the advent of elephant poaching in countries of southern Africa- calls on a new stance. Robin des Bois, no matter what will come out of following events and other positions Botswana may have, admires this courageous and contagious standpoint. In supporting the listing in Appendix I of the elephants who season after season are crisscrossing its territory, Botswana shows also concern for the elephants of Namibia, Angola, Zimbabwe and Zambia.
Sea tide turns green except the Banggaï who remains red
Press release n°5
CITES – Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora
17th Conference of the Parties. Johannesburg – South Africa
September 24 to October 5, 2016
Sharks
Sharks fall victim of targeted and accidental catches from the fishing industry. The fins are subjected to intense international trade and aimed at the Asian market. Once the fin cut off, the carcass is the most often thrown back to sea; it is rare that the meat be used.
The silky shark was listed in Appendix II of CITES with 111 votes in favour, 30 votes against, 5 abstentions. Their name comes from their soft skin. Found in the tropical ocean and coastal waters, populations in the Atlantic have dropped by 90% since the 1950s.
