Japan seize majority at whaling commission

19 June

Japan seize majority at whaling commission for the first time in a quarter of a century

In an historic sea-change at the International Whaling Commission the pro-whaling block has seized a majority vote at the annual meeting in St. Kitts. In a vote on the St Kitts and Nevis Declaration - which described the moratorium on whaling as "no longer necessary" and called for the 'normalisation' of the IWC - pro-whaling nations achieved 33 votes, while anti-whaling nations only achieved 32.

Speaking on behalf of the Whalewatch coalition, Niki Entrup, of the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (WDCS), said: "This tragic moment signifies a great step backwards in time to when the International Whaling Commission was nothing more than a whalers' club. It is a return to the 1970s dark days of where whales roamed the seas unprotected. The welfare and future of whales remains seriously in question. The world must wake up from its great slumber and demand that anti-whaling governments fiercely fight this hostile take over."

He added: "It was Denmark's vote that made the difference in this vote. The European and especially the Danish public should be outraged."

Notes:

The Whalewatch coalition will continue to lobby government representatives to ensure that the welfare concerns associated with all modern day whaling activities are addressed and urges the public to take action at www.whalewatch.org/sign

The Whalewatch coalition is represented at the IWC 58 by: World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA), Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (WDCS), Humane Society International (HSI), Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA), Campaign Whale, Finns for Whales, The Kido Ecological Research Station Sanctuary and the Antigua Barbuda Independent Tourism Corporation.

ENDS

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