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.
Science too Lethal
The International Court of Justice ordered Japan to stop its whaling program JARPA II and therefore cease all whaling activities in the Antarctic. Since 1987, Japan has killed over 10,000 whales in the Southern Seas.
In its decision delivered this morning, at The Hague, the Court declared that the “scientific whaling” program in Antarctica, as it has been designed and implemented by Japan, entails a disproportionate number of whales hunted and killed. According to the Court, Japan did not provide adequate explications to justify the lethal take of whales particularly minke whales. The Court pointed out that the number of whales killed under the framework of “Japanese scientific whaling” is offset by financial reasons. The product from treating whales – which is to say the commercialization of whale meat – finances the whaling campaign carried out by the factory ship the Nisshin Maru and support vessels.
Science too Lethal
The International Court of Justice ordered Japan to stop its whaling program JARPA II and therefore cease all whaling activities in the Antarctic. Since 1987, Japan has killed over 10,000 whales in the Southern Seas.
In its decision delivered this morning, at The Hague, the Court declared that the “scientific whaling” program in Antarctica, as it has been designed and implemented by Japan, entails a disproportionate number of whales hunted and killed. According to the Court, Japan did not provide adequate explications to justify the lethal take of whales particularly minke whales. The Court pointed out that the number of whales killed under the framework of “Japanese scientific whaling” is offset by financial reasons. The product from treating whales – which is to say the commercialization of whale meat – finances the whaling campaign carried out by the factory ship the Nisshin Maru and support vessels.
Not on the Same Whale Wave
Information note N°8
Whales at the International Court of Justice
The Hague, The Netherlands, 2nd hearing of Japan, July 15th – 16th
Over the last 3 weeks, at the Peace Palace in The Hague (Netherlands), the past and the future of whaling has been explored in all its scope. In their closing remarks on July 16th, Japan implied that if the Court declared a decision in favour of Australia’s case, it would be the equivalent of forcing a State to abide to a decision that they did not agree to. On this note they reemphasized that when they agreed to the 1982 moratorium, which came into force for Japan in 1986, it was uniquely in light of this provision being reviewed. If Japan was to wake up one morning and find that the Convention that they agreed on had changed over night then the only way out would be to leave.
