Australia accused on whaling

Australia accused on whaling

Since last year, Australia has been quietly supporting policies that would allow the resumption of commercial whaling, according to Sue Arnold of Australians for Animals.

According to the group, the Australian representative to the International Whaling Commission took a lead in co-sponsoring a 1992 pro-whaling resolution on "revised management procedure".

In addition, Australia proposed a resolution on Japan's "scientific" whaling which appeared to condone such hunting rather than condemn it. According to Arnold, the Australian commissioner also took the lead in organising a meeting of IWC commissioners to explore making a deal to allow commercial whaling to be resumed.

Under current proposals, if catch limits are set in 1993, whaling will be able to continue until 2007 with no requirement for new data on the situation of the whale populations. Whaling of severely depleted stock would be allowed, and the hunting of the grey whale off North America could even resume. This whale has been protected since 1937 and only recently recovered from near extinction.

Australians for Animals are calling for Australia to support a complete ban on commercial whaling by Japan, Iceland and Norway. They also call for an end to all secret negotiating and for the current Australian commissioner to be replaced by somebody who will implement the recommendations of the government-appointed 1978 Frost Inquiry, which concluded that commercial whaling should be discontinued.

From GLW issue 98