Berlin Initiative Final Blow To IWC
Adoption of the Berlin initiative is the final blow to the already polarized and dysfunctional IWC, destroying its
raison d’etre, Japan’s Whaling Commissioner said today.
Mr. Minoru Morimoto said: “This initiative is not about conservation, it is a devious strategy to end all sustainable
use of whale resources for food. The purpose of the IWC has been subverted and hijacked in a manner that is totally
contrary to all international customary law related to treaty interpretation.”
“By adopting the Berlin initiative, the anti-whaling members of the IWC have ensured that scarce resources will be
wasted on non-essential projects, undermining commitments to complete the RMS – the primary focus for the past 10
years,” Mr Morimoto said.
The purpose of the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling (ICRW) is “to provide for the proper
conservation of whale stocks and thus make possible the orderly development of the whaling industry”, however, it’s
clear this initiative is intended to transform the purpose of the IWC to one of providing total protection of all whales
irrespective of their abundance, he said.
Mr Morimoto said Japan was angry over the decision taken today, which together with the failure over the past few years
to make progress on the RMS makes the IWC no longer an appropriate organization for the management of whales.
“Today’s action by the IWC has forced Japan to consider all of our options concerning our future participation in this
organization,” said Mr Morimoto.