A proposal announced today by the International Whaling Commission (IWC) would, for the first time in almost 25 years, endorse the killing of whales in one of their most critical feeding grounds – the Southern Ocean.
In an effort to bring Japan, Norway and Iceland’s continued whaling under the IWC’s control, the Chair of the IWC has proposed giving these countries official commercial whaling quotas for the next 10 years.
“The proposed quotas are not set using the IWC’s own scientific methods, but are a result of political bargaining which has little if anything to do with the whales themselves,” said Rob Nicoll, WWF-Australia’s Antarctic and Southern Oceans Initiative Manager.
If adopted the new proposal would legitimise commercial whaling in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary, despite the IWC’s absolute ban on commercial whaling in this area since 1994. The Southern Ocean is the main feeding ground of many whale species such as blue whales, humpback whales and fin whales.
“Some whales feed exclusively in the Southern Ocean – not eating at all during the winter months when they travel up to tropical waters,” added Nicoll.
“If there is one place on earth where whales should have full protection, it is the Southern Ocean. Allowing commercial whaling in an area where whales are so vulnerable goes against all logic.”
The new proposal would allow for the killing of 400 minke and 10 fin whales each year in the waters around Antarctica. 725,000 fin whales were killed in the Southern Hemisphere in the twentieth century.
“Fin whale numbers were depleted to severely low levels by previous whaling that spun out of control, and remain endangered as a result. Allowing new commercial whaling on this species when they have yet to recover from previous whaling is management madness,” said Nicoll.
The members of the IWC will decide whether to adopt the proposal at its next annual meeting in Agadair, Morocco, June 21st – 25th.
WWF-Australia is calling on all members of the IWC to support the Australian government’s alternative proposal to break the IWC deadlock, put forward in February.
“If accepted, the Australian Government’s proposal would uphold the current moratorium and ensure that existing internationally recognised sanctuaries are indeed sanctuaries where no whales will be killed,” said Mr Nicoll.
More information
Jonathon Larkin, Senior Media Officer, 0410 221 410, [email protected]