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Japan heads towards a meeting on 'normalisation'/ modernisation or perhaps
harmonisation.
 Returning to the main hall with indigestion, we find Japan
proposing a special meeting to pursue ‘normalisation’. Japan makes the usual
claims and these are responded to by the New Zealand minister, Chris Carter. He
stresses the need to focus on conservation and notes many new conventions that
have arisen since the IWC treaty was concluded and that these mean that we must
put the environment first. The Australian Minister gives an equally impassioned
plea, noting that the crash of whale populations caused by whaling, was one of
the greatest environmental disasters ever. He says that Japan’s plans for
normalisation will take us back to the bad old days of the 1940s. He is
especially upset at Japan’s scientific whaling plans to kill humpbacks and fin
whales. He does not accept that this is a failed organisation. Noting the
willingness of new member nations to join, he adds how can this be an
organisation in collapse. Finally, he adds that if Japan wants to have a ‘fair
dinkum’ debate on modernisation, Australia will be pleased to speak to them.
Brazil says that Japan’s paper is full of emotional terms and she
elaborates in a forceful speech. Iceland does not agree with the earlier
speakers and so a long list of speakers associate with each other. (There may be
some recycling of speeches from earlier years going on here.)
The
Netherlands breaks the mould, he is seeking a new way forward and has proposed a
high level meeting to move on from the ‘impasse’ that he perceives.
[Throughout this debate, the IWC Chair has been calling on all parties
to stick to a four minutes speech time only, noting that we are now 70 parties.
No one obeys.]
The US agrees that we are at an impasse and has some
sympathy with the Netherlands and would consider such a meeting. St Kitts next
takes the floor and Daven Joseph speaks on their behalf. He too speaks at length
of normalisation – he says that does not exclude modernisation but that this
must not extend to changing the basis of the organisation. He supports Japan.
The IWC Chair notes that he has been speaking for 6 minutes and 45
seconds and has exceeded his daily quota of 4 minutes.
Monaco speaks of
the stomp of boots of normalisation (and the relationship this term has with
oppressive regimes) and is in favour of modernising.
Sweden thinks the
IWC is in a critical place and others are in denial… he likes the term
harmonisation. [The –isation words certainly seem to be in vogue today.] He
makes a strong case for the meeting and acknowledged the ecosystem approach and
the precautionary principle….
Argentina favours a modernisation that
includes non-lethal use. Other speakers follows.
As this debate drags on,
the St Kitts and Nevis Declaration arrives in delegate’s pigeon holes… so let’s
phase out of the meeting for a few minutes and have a look at it:
Well,
it is actually a resolution and it has 31 nations on it, mainly developing
nations but also Norway, Iceland and Japan.
In the operative part it
expresses regret that the IWC has failed to meet its obligations under the terms
of the ICRW [the International Treaty for the Regulation of Whaling, which
established the IWC] and then it ‘reiterates’ the commitment of the governments
signed on to …(wait for it)…………………………………………
normalisation!
And
respect for cultural diversity and the traditions of coastal people and the
principle of sustainable use, science based policy and so forth.
In the
long preamble the ‘Declaration’ notes various things including, predictably,
that the IWC has failed to complete a commercial whaling management regime.
And now we phase back into the meeting….
…yesterday and again
here today we have heard semantic volleying in the use of the terms
normalisation and modernisation – says the Commissioner from Antigua and Barbuda
very strongly. In a stirring speech, normalisation she says seeks to help with
regularisation (a new term for the debate)… she is amazed and struck - despite
appeals and scientific findings - by the positions of some here. She notes an
unfortunate statement made by one party which she suggests is cultural
imperialism and she regrets this. When she finishes there is applause from half
the hall and the IWC Chair calls for this to end.
Luxembourg speaks to
associate with Australia and others.
Netherlands asks for the floor again
to seek support for his high level meeting. He notes that Italy supports him and
he calls for other parties to go into discussion with him.
The Chair
says he now has to make a friendly ruling… he says he will only take speakers on
the high level meeting proposal… Korea says he thinks there is some common
ground to be found. France agrees with the Netherlands… and the debate staggers
towards an end.
Iceland does not support a high level conference. Nor
does Norway. St Lucia, St Kitts or Germany. However, Mexico does and so does
Spain.
The Chair tries to sum up but he is interrupted by the Netherlands
who is awaiting a reply from Japan.
Japan appreciated the great interest
in its paper for a meeting about normalisation. The original convention is old
but good he says. New parties joined because they thought it was good…. And so
forth.
A tea break comes and goes (there are still no biscuits and the
sodas are endangered too.)
Stand by - a vote is on the way… and the
Commission has grown since yesterday.
For some reason the temperature in
the main meeting room has now gone up and those delegates still attempting
jackets and ties are loosening their collars and rolling up their sleeves (a few
angry insect bites are revealed).
We now come to one of the set pieces
of the IWC meeting – requests from Japan for what it sees as relief quotas for
‘small type’ whaling communities that are suffering as a result of the
moratorium on commercial whaling 20 years ago. One proposal is for 150 minke
whales from the North Pacific and the other for 150 Brydes from the same general
area. Requests like this have been made for some years – the basic premise is
that there are small towns in Japan that are suffering because of the moratorium
on commercial whaling. As in previous years these requests mirror to some extent
requests for aboriginal subsistence takes – i.e. that they are important in a
cultural sense and, also as in previous years, a representative of one of these
small coastal towns makes a presentation about local needs and culture.
The UK makes the first response: We believe that the needs of these
towns have already been met – i.e. via whales caught in nets and other sources –
and that the proposal is for commercial whaling. They go on to note technical
problems with the proposal for minke whales. They do not believe that economic
hardship will be mitigated. They note many reports of stock-piling of meat. She
asks if work is still going on - on these stocks and concludes that this is an
attempt to open the door on commercial whaling.
Nicaragua and Iceland
support Japan’s proposals. So does St Lucia and many speakers follow along the
usual lines… we will only pick out the more interesting ones.
Denmark,
interestingly says that he does not have consensus in his delegation on this
proposal – it would be far easier if it had passed the Scientific Committee
before it came here. He notes that the proposal is for 5 years but he can only
support for 3 years. Will Japan change to this?
The US has sympathy for
the Japanese situation but also says we should reply on the advice of the
Scientific Committee. Monaco notes that there are whale meat stock piles (of
little use to science) in Japan. There is more whale meat than can meet current
Japanese needs.
New Zealand associates with UK and US, and emphasises
that North Pacific minke whale assessment is still in progress by the Scientific
Committee including consideration of the mixing of stocks in the coastal waters
of Japan.
Australia notes that this is not for an aboriginal subsistence
whaling take but for a commercial whaling take and they will oppose.
A
distinguished delegate from Argentina notes that 279 minkes have been taken in
coastal waters and these may have included animals from the endangered J stock.
He too says that this is commercial whaling. Luxembourg associates with the UK.
The chair tries to close the list. He notes more than 20 interventions.
“Point of order” cries Russia. You missed us off your list.
He lets
Russia speak: they support Japan. He notes amongst other things that people
think bread grows in stores.
We return to the question from the UK to
the Chair of the Scientific Committee. Arne Bjorge says that both Japan and the
UK referred to the work of the Scientific Committee and notes that the present
proposal has not been looked at (and the geographical limit is a new element).
He says there are still remaining issues being looked at. The Secretariat has
not run catch limits and will not do so until the Commission so instructs it to
do so..
Japan is given the floor again. The Scientific Committee’s
in-depth assessment he says is mainly looking at J stock and they are looking at
O stock whales [note the two stocks mix and cannot be told apart, so this is not
straight forward].
He continues that comments about other economic
aspects – like alternative jobs - are just irrelevant.
As to the request
from Denmark, Japan accepts 3 years instead of 5.
The Chair says shall
we go to the vote. Yes says Japan – just on the minke whale proposal.
This vote requires ¾ to pass because it is a schedule
amendment.
30 in support, 31 against – so it fails.It even fails to gain
a simple majority, which is something of a surprise.
Interestingly,
China, Kiribati, Korea and the Solomon Island abstain. Denmark, of course, now
supports.
With this failure (not even a simple majority in favour) Japan
withdraws the second request for 150 Bryde’s whales from the same sea area.
As we try to escape from the hot meeting room out into natural daylight
there is a quick debate about how long agenda item 19 (the St Kitts Declaration)
will be kept open. It is agreed to close the item tomorrow.
Tomorrow is
Sunday, the Chairman says that he has a small gift for us and we don’t start
until 09.30am.
There are small cheers and people rush around excitedly
and many seemingly via random movement, eventually leave.
Outside small
centipedes are marching regardless of everything else.
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