Displaying items by tag: Whaling
Monday, 12 July 2010 13:28
Subsistence whaling quotas
From 21 to 25 June 2010 the 62th Session of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) was held in Agadir, Morocco. The meeting brought together 600 delegates from some 80 countries, in addition to Ministers, scientists, experts and NGO’s representatives. Representatives of Russian Chukotka Association of Traditional whale hunters who observed the meeting were satisfied with the meeting results.
The same volume quotas for aboriginal hunting of gray and bowhead whales in 2010 (135 gray and 5 bowhead whales) were confirmed. In 2010, unused strikes of gray whale can be transferred to another year, and also only whales brought on shore will be counted.
Due to the large number of harvested non-edible whales, so called, stinky whale (because of their rancid, medicinal stench and taste), the IWC decided to ignore the striking of 10 whales this year.
After years of debate, the indigenous peoples of Greenland were finally able to get a quota of 9 humpbacks in addition to 178 minke whales, 10 fin whales, and 2 bowhead whales. This positive solution was supported by the delegations of indigenous peoples involved in aboriginal whaling.
Thus, Vladimir Etylin from Chukotka said that indigenous whaling in the Arctic is under the pressure of IWC power. Arctic indigenous communities fear that their traditional food can be taken from them. The indigenous people of Greenland, Alaska and Chukotka should not be blamed for the global reduction of whales. It is countries and industry that since the 18th century have continued to destroy whale habitats and earn money at the expense of nature.
The key issue of the IWC meeting was the future of the IWC itself – a question that originated from the ongoing conflict between the so-called whaling and anti-whaling countries. After lengthy discussions the question remained open but all members wanted the organization to become as relevant, credible and effective a conservation and management body as possible.
Regarding scheduling of the next IWC meeting, the IWC Secretariat announces: "Although the Commission did agree to hold a meeting in 2011 we have (as yet) not received an offer from any member government to host the meeting. The venue for next year is therefore currently unknown."
The same volume quotas for aboriginal hunting of gray and bowhead whales in 2010 (135 gray and 5 bowhead whales) were confirmed. In 2010, unused strikes of gray whale can be transferred to another year, and also only whales brought on shore will be counted.
Due to the large number of harvested non-edible whales, so called, stinky whale (because of their rancid, medicinal stench and taste), the IWC decided to ignore the striking of 10 whales this year.
After years of debate, the indigenous peoples of Greenland were finally able to get a quota of 9 humpbacks in addition to 178 minke whales, 10 fin whales, and 2 bowhead whales. This positive solution was supported by the delegations of indigenous peoples involved in aboriginal whaling.
Thus, Vladimir Etylin from Chukotka said that indigenous whaling in the Arctic is under the pressure of IWC power. Arctic indigenous communities fear that their traditional food can be taken from them. The indigenous people of Greenland, Alaska and Chukotka should not be blamed for the global reduction of whales. It is countries and industry that since the 18th century have continued to destroy whale habitats and earn money at the expense of nature.
The key issue of the IWC meeting was the future of the IWC itself – a question that originated from the ongoing conflict between the so-called whaling and anti-whaling countries. After lengthy discussions the question remained open but all members wanted the organization to become as relevant, credible and effective a conservation and management body as possible.
Regarding scheduling of the next IWC meeting, the IWC Secretariat announces: "Although the Commission did agree to hold a meeting in 2011 we have (as yet) not received an offer from any member government to host the meeting. The venue for next year is therefore currently unknown."
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Published in
2010 News