 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Finland, Sweden urge Norway to lower whaling quota
Helsinki (AFP) Jun 2, 2006 Finland and Sweden on Friday urged Norway to reduce its whaling quota for this year, arguing that Oslo's annual quota hikes could hurt chances of finding a solution to an international dispute over its whale hunt practice. Norway is the only country in the world that allows commercial whale hunting, a practice it resumed in 1993 despite a 1986 international moratorium. This year the Scandinavian country authorised its whalers to harpoon 1,052 minke whales, up from 796 in 2005, out of a total minke population that it estimates at more than 100,000 in the North Atlantic. "The environment ministers of Finland and Sweden urge Norway to retract its decision to intensify the minke whale hunt," a statement from the Finnish government said. In a letter addressed to Norwegian Fisheries Minister Helga Pedersen, the Finnish and Swedish environment ministers Jan-Erik Enestam and Lena Sommestad said the quota increase for 2006 was "very regrettable" and called on authorities not to implement the new allocation. Norway is a member of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) but refused to sign the almost 20-year-old international ban. Oslo argues that its minke whale hunt does not threaten stocks of the species. The repeated quota increases since 1993 "reduce the chances of finding new solutions" within the IWC, Enestam and Sommestad wrote. In April, Britain and 11 other countries (Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Czech Republic, France, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand and Spain), handed over a letter of protest to Norway accusing it of endangering minke whales by raising its annual hunting quota. They also accused Norway of pressuring its researchers to "justify large-scale destruction of the species", a charge Norwegian officials said was "unacceptable". Community Email This Article Comment On This Article Related Links Follow the Whaling Debate
Marshall Islands undecided on whaling ban
Majuro (AFP) Jun 1, 2006 The Marshall Islands government Thursday refused to declare a position on commercial whaling even after Australia lobbied hard to convince the tiny nation to vote in favor of keeping a ban in place. |
|
|
| The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2006 - SpaceDaily.AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA PortalReports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additionalcopyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement |
