Sunday, July 10, 2011

Media release 11th July 2011 from the IWC meeting in Jersey, UK

Can the International Whaling Commission (IWC) stamp out corruption and vote buying?
A new proposal is being tabled at this year’s 63rd annual IWC meeting being held in Jersey, Channel Islands, that calls for the IWC to be transparent and more accountable.
The Annual Commission Meeting will run for four days from today, Monday 11 July to Thursday 14 July.

“Its time to stop the corrupt practice of Japan buying votes to support its barbaric practice of whaling. Some African and Caribbean countries have had their votes bought by Japan in exchange for cash. It is an iniquitous practice that must stop now so that we can guarantee a safe future for whales,” says Mick McIntyre, Director of the Australian conservation group Whales Alive, who has been attending IWC meeting since 1993

The UK is putting forward a resolution that calls on the IWC to put in place reforms that would bring the commission’s practices into the 21st century

“There is no other major convention in the world that accepts cash payments for member country payments - The IWC needs to step into the 21st century and be transparent,” McIntyre said.

The International Whaling Commission (IWC) still has a major role to play in protecting whales and this UK proposal is crucial to stop whaling
The 89 country IWC is currently evenly split between pro and anti whaling countries. Japan, Norway and Iceland are the nations practicing whaling, and it is Japan using cash to recruit member countries to vote for their pro whaling stand.
At last years IWC meeting Whales Alive and other NGO’s succeeded in stopping countries overturning the worldwide moratorium on commercial whaling. When a compromise proposal put forward by USA and NZ was defeated.
“At this meeting we have a real chance of putting this convention back on course” said McIntyre

Mick is attending the meeting and is available for interviews. Contact Michael Young, +61 410 408 492
http://www.whalesalive.org.au/