Round One To Conservationists At IWC (whale killers lose, 32 to 30)

The Minister of Conservation is declaring round one to the conservationists at the annual International Whaling Commission meeting in the Caribbean nation of St Kitts and Nevis.

Two major issues were voted on in the first session this morning, with the Japanese-led pro-whaling lobby losing both of them.

The first vote to take the conservation of pilot whales, dolphins and porpoises off the agenda was defeated by two votes, 32 to 30.

And a proposition calling for secret ballots was voted down by three.

New Zealand’s Minister of Conservation Chris Carter says there has been tense debate, with Japan accusing the anti-whaling lobby of trying to bully smaller nations.

Mr Carter says it is too early to say whether the anti-whaling nations have a majority, since two Japan supporters - Gambia and Senegal - have yet to arrive.

(more)

http://www.newswire.co.nz/main/viewstory.aspx?storyid=322278&catid=0

Pro-whaling nations lose commission vote
ADAM RANEY
Associated Press

FRIGATE BAY, St. Kitts - Pro-whaling nations, led by Japan, lost the first major vote of the International Whaling Commission's annual meeting Friday - an indication they may not have the majority necessary to take control of the body and try to repeal its ban on commercial hunting.

Japan sought to remove the issue of hunting dolphins and porpoises from the agenda of the 70-member IWC but failed by a 32-30 vote.

A key vote against the measure came from Belize, a small Central American country that has received aid from Japan and had been expected by environmental groups to support it on the whaling commission.

At the meeting, Japan and other pro-whaling nations have been expected to form a majority on the international body for the first time since a 1986 ban on commercial whaling.

(more)

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/world/14837005.htm

Last Updated: Saturday, 17 June 2006, 07:01 GMT 08:01 UK

Japan to table whaling 'roadmap'
By Richard Black
Environment correspondent, BBC News website in St Kitts

Japan is to table its proposal for a move towards a return to commercial whaling on day two
of the International Whaling Commission annual meeting.

It says future whaling would be sustainable, with safeguards including independent observers
and set quotas.

On the first day of the meeting in St Kitts, Japan lost two key votes, one which would have
ended IWC work on conserving dolphins and porpoises.

But new arrivals could tip the balance of power.

At the end of the first day delegates from Togo and Cameroon arrived and paid their
subscriptions, entitling them to vote.

Japan Fails to Take Control of the IWC
Sea Shepherd News
News Releases
06/16/2006

Whale conservationists are smiling today as the International Whaling Commission meeting opened. The Japanese have failed again this year in their aggressive effort to buy votes to control the agenda of the International Whaling Commission (IWC).

They did not succeed in getting all their puppet nations to show up or vote for their pro-whaling initiatives.

The whales have won over the whalers for another year.

At the first vote of the IWC meeting in St. Kitts & Nevis, the Japanese motioned for a discussion on conservation of small cetaceans to be struck from the agenda. The Japanese motion was defeated 32 to 30.

Japan then motioned for a secret ballot to decide issues hoping that nations would vote in favor of whaling if they were anonymous. That motion failed 33 to 30.

It does not appear that Japan, Norway, and Iceland can muscle the required majority votes to control the 70-member International Whaling Commission.

A couple of member nations did not show up for the meetings. Israel joined the IWC as a pro-whale conservation vote and some members leaning towards Japan have been swayed by their own citizens who lean in favor of the whales over the bribes of the whalers.

“This is great news for the whales,” said Captain Paul Watson. “Japan will not make any gains this year at the IWC and for another year at least the whales are safe on paper under the law. However, the renegade illegal activities of Japan and Norway will continue and once again we must voyage to the remote and hostile waters of the Southern Oceans to search out and stop the illegal slaughter. Japan’s failure to control the IWC keeps the legal credibility for our intervention solidly in our court. Once again, we will be hunting criminal whalers in Antarctic waters.”

Japan has responded to the failure to muster the votes in a very childlike manner. Jouji Morishita, the director of International negotiations on whaling for the Japanese Fisheries Agency, said Japan may decide to pull out of the IWC unless the ban on commercial whaling is overturned.

http://seashepherd.org/news/media_060616_2.html