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The World Council of Whalers (WCW) is an international non-governmental
organization founded in 1997 to provide a forum for whaling peoples
worldwide. Its mission is to promote continued sustainable use of
marine living resources, to protect peoples' cultural, social, economic
and dietary rights.
- The meeting was attended by representatives from whaling communities
in Canada, the Faroe Islands, Greenland, Iceland, Japan, New Zealand,
Norway, St. Lucia and the United States. This was the 4th assembly
of the WCW, prior meetings have been held in Canada, Iceland and New
Zealand.
Whaling
boat in Faroes
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For further information and pictures, contact the World
Council of Whalers at wcw@island.net. WCW Chairman Tom
Mexsis Happynook
See also
www.worldcouncilofwhalers.com.
Footage available from Faroese television(SvF). Contact
news editor Ossur Winthereig mail to:ossur@svf.fo, telephone(00
298) 340 400.
World Council of Whalers PO Box 291 Brentwood Bay, BC
V8M1R3 Phone/Fax 250 652-8352 wcw@island.net
www.worldcouncilofwhalers.com
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ICFA
Calls on CITES to Remove Trade Ban on Abundant Whale Species
At its annual
meeting in Akureyri, Iceland, September1-4, the International Coalition
of Fisheries Associations(ICFA) called on the Convention for International
Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora(CITES) to review
the current Appendix listing of whale species based on scientific
research and remove from Appendix I those species for which population
status has been determined as no longer threatened with extinction.
It also urged the International Whaling Commission (IWC) to expedite
completion of the Revised Management Scheme (RMS).
ICFA is a non-governmental
organization formed in 1988 to provide a unified voice and representation
of the world's commercial fishing industries in international forums.
Its members are fisheries associations from Australia, Canada, Iceland,
Japan, Korea, New Zealand, Norway, the Republic of China, Russia,
USA, Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore,
Thailand and Vietnam.
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ICFA
RESOLUTION ON WHALING
* Noting that the FAO, at its 24th Fisheries Committee meeting,
agreed to study and review interactions between marine mammals
and fisheries;
* Concerned about the possible negative impact of predation
of marine resources by cetaceans;
* Noting that the IWC at its 54th Annual Meeting in Japan in
May 2002 again failed to agree on the RMS and thereby postponed
any possibility to resume sustainable commercial whaling; and
* Noting that CITES prohibits international trade in all species
of large cetacean regardless of evidence of abundance.
ICFA, therefore
* Urges the IWC:
To complete the Revised Management Scheme expeditiously and
To support current research, including that of Japan and Norway,
on the impact of cetaceans on fisheries,
* Calls on CITES to review the current Appendix listing
of whale species based on scientific research and remove from
Appendix I those species for which population status has been
determined as no longer threatened with extinction.
* Expresses concern at the IWCfs denial of Icelandfs
full participation in the 53rd Annual Meeting in London in 2001
and the 54th Annual Meeting in Shimonoseki,Japan, in 2002.
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