IWC chairman William Hogarth, the US commissioner, said that the Chile meeting of IWC has ended with peace talks that might bear fruit in future. It was decided that next year the meeting will see intensive dialogue between pro- and anti-whaling countries, and could lead to a package deal next year. But all is not well in the conclusion of the meeting as there is still significant water between the camps on key issues.
In the meeting it was decided to embark on a research programme into the impact of climate change on whales. Only Greenland bid to add humpback whales to the annual hunt by its indigenous Inuit communities defeated. Hogarth said that the meeting was well concluded, there are definitely some big issues such as the lethal take of whales and scientific research whaling.
He also added that the number of whales being killed is increasing; and I think the way we ought to be looking at this, from the point of view of countries that are anti-whaling, is how can we reduce that number? According to him all members of the commission, pro or anti whaling, have endorsed the idea of seeking compromise, although some were pessimistic about its prospects when talking on the meeting’s fringes.
Conservation groups were also pleased with the decision to set up an initiative on climate change and cetaceans. It is fact that whales do eat commercial fish species and there is decline in fish populations so the hunt for whales is become a necessity. Besides there are many issues that remain unresolved this year will be discussed next year.
