 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
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 Marshall Islands is expected to join the International Whaling Commission (IWC) just ahead of a crucial vote on the ban, with anti-whaling countries and supporters of pro-whaling Japan believed to be evenly poised. Australian Environment Minister Ian Campbell visited the Marshall Islands capital Majuro on Wednesday to persuade island leaders to vote against lifting the ban. But the Marshall Islands is reportedly also being lobbied hard by Japan, its third-largest aid donor behind the United States and Taiwan, to vote in support of lifting the ban. At a summit of Pacific leaders last week, Japan announced it will inject 400 million dollars in aid to 12 Pacific Island states over the next three years. Campbell told AFP that foreign aid should not be linked to the whaling issue, saying island countries "should negotiate as sovereign nations". He said the vote at the IWC meeting in St. Kitts in two weeks is precariously poised, with the result likely to hinge on one or two votes. Campbell said ministers for the Marshall Islands told him that the cabinet has not met to discuss its stand on whaling and has not even decided if it will attend the IWC meeting. "Right now, we're likely to fail to keep the ban in place," he said. Campbell has flown to three Pacific nations -- Kiribati, the Marshall Islands and Vanuatu -- to meet with leaders seeking their support for maintaining the ban. He said any overturning of the ban would be "a huge tragedy". Campbell said the international spotlight will be on the small Pacific island nations at the IWC meeting in mid-June. "In my view, it will be quite unusual to see Pacific nations with strong futures in marine protection potentially lining up to undermine one of the greatest ecological developments of the 20th century," he said. While a simple majority among the 67-member IWC will not be enough to overturn current whaling bans, anti-whaling forces have warned it could lead to policy changes that could tend to undermine a protective regime. Japan officially stopped commercial whaling in 1987 and reluctantly accepted an international moratorium supported by Western countries. Japan uses a loophole that allows the killing of whales for "research," even though the meat usually ends up in grocery stores and restaurants. Community Email This Article Comment On This Article Related Links Follow the Whaling Debate
Japan to call for separate forum on whaling outside IWC
Tokyo (AFP) Jun 1, 2006 Japan will propose a separate forum to the International Whaling Commission annual meeting to try to sideline "hardliners" opposed to an end to the ban on commercial whaling, officials said Thursday. |
|
|
| 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 |
