Home / News / External Feeds / Aust to argue need for whale ban
From tvnz.co.nz

Aust to argue need for whale ban

Australian Environment Minister Peter Garrett will lead the push to continue a ban on whaling at what is expected to be a highly charged meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC).

The 80-member IWC will begin meeting in Santiago in Chile, where debate on a possible resumption in commercial whaling is expected to split the gathering.

Australia is strongly opposed to whaling and its normally strong relationship with Tokyo has been strained because of Japan’s so-called scientific whaling program.

As Australia continues efforts to find a diplomatic resolution to the impasse, Garrett said Australia would put a strong set of reform proposals on the table at Santiago.

“I will be making very clear the … strong view that the Australian government and Australians have generally about the practice of killing whales in the name of science,” he said.

“I will be saying clearly and strongly at this whaling commission that we think there is a much better way of approaching the question of looking after our whales, conserving whales.”

The issues Australia wants to discuss at the IWC meeting include new research showing the economic benefits of whale conservation, the damage the species faces from climate change as well as the possibility of non-lethal whale research.

 

Read Full Article

Check Also

Korean shipping company pleads guilty to illegal dumping on voyage

(From dailyastorian.info)- STX Pan Ocean Co., Ltd., a South Korean shipping company pleaded guilty Friday …