Slow swimming whale meeting makes climate change breakthrough

Madeira, Portugal – The International Whaling Commission adopted a major climate change resolution on the last day of its 61st meeting, although it failed to take decisions on contentious whaling issues after days of negotiations that have hampered its progress in recent years.

On Thursday, IWC member countries unanimously agreed to adopt a resolution on climate change co-sponsored by the United States and Norway. The 85-member body began its annual meeting on Monday, though it set aside most major decisions until later in the year.

The resolution states that climate change is a key threat to whales, and urges governments to commit to reducing their carbon emissions at the UN Climate meeting in Copenhagen in December. It also directs IWC to engage in external climate change meetings in the run up to Copenhagen.

“This is a very positive development that will help ensure that climate negotiations take into account impacts on biodiversity,” said Dr. Susan Lieberman, WWF International Species Programme Director. “However, members did not take action that would stop commercial whaling outside of IWC regulation, which is a fundamental problem that the IWC must address—and which continues today.”

IWC members, for example, did not take action on “scientific whaling” by Japan, which has led to the killing of thousands of whales, particularly in the Antarctic Whale Sanctuary. Under the guise of scientific research, Japan has continued to defy the 1986 moratorium on commercial whaling by hunting whales in both the Antarctic and the North Pacific, claiming that these whales must be killed to answer critical management questions.

Although IWC members did not take decisions on many key whaling-related issues that have dominated negotiations during the annual meeting in past years, they did discuss another prominent whale conservation issue that needs attention – the protection of smaller whales, such as dolphins and porpoises.

That discussion coincided with the release during the meeting on Wednesday of Small Cetaceans: The Forgotten Whales, a new WWF report stating that small whales are disappearing from the world’s oceans and waterways as they fall victim to fishing gear, pollution, and habitat loss – compounded by a lack of conservation measures such as those developed for great whales.

Support for the recommendations in the report at the meeting came from Australian Environment Minister Peter Garrett, who simultaneously announced an AU$500,000 pledge to the IWC for the conservation and protection of smaller whales. Meanwhile, Belgium called for a review of work on conservation and management for small cetaceans to take place before IWC 62 in 2010.

“It is time for the IWC to build on these commitments, to become a modern 21st century convention, and to dedicate itself to the conservation of all whales, great and small,” Dr. Lieberman said.