Starting things off with a bang, Chile declared a permanent ban on whaling on the opening day of the International Whaling Commission’s annual meeting. The Pacific Ocean-bordering country is playing host to the conference, where tensions are running high. One goal of the conference is to get enough countries to vote affirmatively to create a new whale sanctuary in the South Atlantic Ocean. But this plan might be stymied by the meeting’s own chair person.
In an effort to build consensus, the chair person of the conference urged for there to be little debate and no voting at the meeting this year. The goal is to “pay it forward,” and use any additional good will that is created this year at next year’s meeting with the hope that more can be accomplished. Many environmentalists find the chairman’s plan to be intolerable, as they claim that Japan is using “scientific research” as an excuse to hunt approximately 1,000 whales each year. But Japan isn’t the only country ignoring a 1986 ban on commercial whaling that was agreed upon by the commission.
Norway and Iceland have also started to hunt whales again, providing no excuse. At least Japan makes some effort to disguise its true motives in the name of “science.” They also suggest that hunting whale species that are abundant can be sustainable– which is perhaps a better and more reasonable argument.
Why Hunt Whales?
Whale meat is sold by some grocery stores and restaurants in Japan, and is considered a delicacy. The good news is that according to The Guardian, demand is declining. The BBC has also reported that Iceland and Norway are hunting simply because they hope to export the meat elsewhere (primarily Japan), as there is no significant demand in those countries for whale meat.
So What is Likely to Happen at This Year’s Meeting?
It’s challenging to say. This year isn’t the first time that a group of Latin American countries at the meeting have tried to secure the votes and support to create a new whale sanctuary. It will require 75% of the member nations in the International Whaling Commission to vote “aye” for a sanctuary to be created.
Meanwhile the president of Chile, Michelle Bachelet, introduced legislation yesterday that will create a whale sanctuary off of Chile’s coast– even if the other initiative fails. She spoke at a whale processing plant that has long since closed. According to one source, Bachelet said the following:
We have chosen this place, the Quintay whale plant, to highlight the Chile and the world of the past, in which there was no awareness of social and environmental consequences. Chile … wants to give the world a clear sign of its will to protect whales in its waters. This initiative is a pledge to the world of the future.
The attendees of the meeting this year might have a hard time getting much accomplished given the chair person’s aforementioned decision to avoid conflict. As an example of how this choice is reflected in actuality, lunch time for meeting attendees has been lengthened throughout the week. It is thought that by taking this measure confrontations will be reduced (and perhaps also progress will be reduced in this author’s view).
The meeting is not without other concerns and distractions, as anywhere from hundreds to thousands of protesters have been demonstrating outside of the meeting facilities. These people want Japan to stop whaling. So far the Chilean government has arrested 15 protesters.
Check back soon on Ecolocalizer for an update as to whether or not the necessary votes were obtained to sanction the creation of a new whale sanctuary in the South Atlantic Ocean. I’m crossing my fingers.
Read More about Commercial Whaling and the Whale Watching Industry
(Note: this final article is a very convincing April Fools joke)
Photo Credit: nasmac on Flickr under a Creative Commons license
Why is a sanctuary needed? No one is hunting whales in the South Atlantic, anyway, or I am wrong?
It’s been proven time and again – self regulation does not work. It’s a concept used to stall or stop legislation. Then come the calls for more studies, and “controversy” is invoked. Self regulation has not stopped the meat industry from feeding ground up cow brains to cattle, but trust us, they say.
If we want to protect the whales from the tourist boats, then self-regulation cannot be relied on, as the article says.
Thank you Sharkwater
Good job Chile.. Two thumbs up to you… Now, I cant wait to visit..
Yey! Its about time someone took up for the whales!
JT
http://www.FireMe.To/udi
So I guess most peope on the internet are against whaling. I wonder if an empty stomage would change your minds…
http://picasaweb.google.com/zoglog/WillJapanPics2008/photo#5214854325501764722
Mmmmm $50 Whale course set!
it’s not like they don’t have other food in japan, thor.
Whales. If we’re going to be honest and rational about environmentalism – and it’s too important a subject to handle in any other way – then discussing “The Whales” as a monolithic entity is far too simplistic a view. There are, according to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_whale_species, 41 species of whale. These whales have a number of habitats. We most certainly don’t want to hunt any of those whale species to extinction in any of those habitats, but not hunting one species in one habitat because another species in another habitat is endangered is… silly. It just doesn’t make sense.
To illustrate the point, try substituting in your head the word “bird” for “whale” in any text you read. Hell, try it on the above paragraph. It wasn’t written with the transformation in mind (as if you’d believe me). Apart from the number “41″, it still holds.
This article isn’t actually guilty of the oversimplification that I’m complaining about, but I felt like venting. Sorry.
If our concern is that endangered whales are being hunted in the South Pacific to satisfy a hunger in, say, Japan, then perhaps they should be encouraged to stop taking those whales and instead to import meat from more plentiful stock, all the while making sure that whatever whaling is being done is sustainable?
No hay nada mas hermoso que ver una ballena en plena libertad. Yo fuí testigo de una ….la emoción q me invavdió en ese momento es algo inexplicable!
Como también he visto a nuemerosos delfines aquí en la costa de mi ciudad.
Vivi@na from Coquimbo, Chile.
Well done Chile.
Now, it’s time for Japan to join civilised nations and stop whaling.
Thor,
Are you saying the Japanese people have empty stomachs????
Hmmm, last time I was there, the Japanese economy was doing very nicely, most Japanese enjoying the finer things of life, and if anyone is hungry, it is certainly not because they are not killing enough whales.
Whale meat is an expensive luxury, for the rich!
Japan is killing whales because they wrongly feel they eat too many fish, and jeopardise there fishing industry.
Problem is, in reality it is Japan who is jeopardising there industry. Before the greed of humans for fish, whales and FISH, lived in our oceans in abundant numbers…the decreases in fish numbers stem from overfishing, NOT whales.
Iceland and norway continue to whale, to enable trade in whalemeat with japan if the cites ban is ever lifted.
The whales DO NOT belong to japan…they belong to everyone and are more valuable alive!
bien hecho weones po. bacan po…. . come on who else has lived in chile.
BRAVO BRAVISIMO Chile, every country should follow Chile decition.. …I can’t wait to go and visit Chile ALL my Fam and friends are very happy…..BRAVO.