Report on 61st Annual Meeting of International Whaling Commission,
22nd – 26th June 2009, Madeira, Portugal
Report by Irish Seal Sanctary.
The ISS attended, with assistance from IEN, as registered international observer and submitted a well received Opening Statement.
Financial constraints and ongoing need to register independently of NPWS, meant a quick access/exit by economy flights via. Lisbon was necessary, on way out. By independent search we managed to get the conference hotel at c. half delegates rate, thus enjoying quick and easy access to all, maximising our impact and contribution to emerging and growing involvement of civil society. Regrettably we did not get to attend select Scientific and Working group meetings, prior to Plenaries, but hard work and research compensated.
Working with Commissioner John FitzGerald, as always most helpful, as we hope we were to him also and our recommendations to resource the Irish Delegation better; to be registered and I...@DG also with Irish delegation for same fee still stands. This excellent Commissioner, at very least deserves his own back-up.
The closing stages of the USA/Japanese Chair sadly showed no great advance and is under new Argentinean Chair to go to yet another Intersessional(3rd meeting in 12 months, somewhat at conflict with the USA/Norway consensus resolution on climate change….. quite a footprint!).
From the outset in the quest for consensus, the meeting was hostage to Denmark’s well flagged resolution on behalf of Greenland to change quotas and include Humpbacks, without providing adequate scientific evidence, as requested. The excellent Scientific work apart, the usual chestnut of Japanese whaling and the Greenland issue were to be the consensus breaker. The E.U. was firmly opposed to Denmark’s proposal from day 1, but as an observer it was easy to see what was coming, even before Commissioners knew (36 hours before and telephone wires were burning up to Washington and Brussels!!).
To sustain the consensus and process, the E.U. bloc folded, meeting was shortly after concluded a day early and referred to another Intersessional.
The ISS has completed its program, though our presence is widely requested for the future. We can pursue our promotion of Sanctuaries by other means and will discuss our future involvement and representation at our own BoD in the future and whether we wish to remain involved in what is without doubt a Puppet Parliament for many other issues behind scenes and for which whales are mere leverage.
The Minister should resource his Commissioner better and allow Ireland take a more pro-active role in pursuance of Sanctuaries in particular and good science. In this we would be glad to assist. It would enhance our credibility and standing also to enact the Irish Whale and Dolphin Sanctuary into International Law and greatly increase our influence in the many related areas from food security to climate change, etc. Ireland’s star has faded greatly since promoting the Southern Ocean Sanctuary and holding the IWC Chair and many would like to see the Irish Commissioner again taking a lead position, in ongoing difficult impasse. Leadership is lacking and if Ireland does not wish to lead on key issues, the Minister might better refer IWC back to High Governing Parties. ISS would like to see a roadmap for Irish involvement from our Minister.
Further information in Opening Statement and IWC proceedings.
http://www.iwcoffice.org/Meetings/meeting2009.htm
Brendan Price EuroProBiol//ISS representative to IWC
