29/05/2005 - The Australian
Minister for the Environment and Heritage,
Senator Ian Campbell, will fly to Europe and
the Pacific to build support for Australia's
position on whale conservation.
Senator Campbell will depart for Europe today
(Sunday, 29 May 2005) for discussions with
key ministers of a number of member nations
of the International Whaling Commission (IWC).
He will follow the European mission with meetings
with Pacific countries.
While in the Pacific the Minister will also
discuss the issue of climate change and the
establishment of a tsunami warning system.
The 57th meeting of the IWC in Ulsan, Korea,
in late June will consider a new management
framework that if voted through would result
in the lifting of the 20-year moratorium on
commercial whaling.
Japan is also proposing to increase its 'scientific'
whaling in Antarctic waters.
"This week, I will visit the key European
players in the IWC - including France, Switzerland,
Denmark, Ireland and Sweden - to share our
views on scientific and commercial whaling.
"Australia is of the clear, informed
view that whaling under scientific permits
should be rejected: it is unnecessary, and
nothing less than commercial whaling in disguise.
We need to work together to promote conservation."
The Minister stressed that a sensible, practical
approach was needed in the IWC to deliver
a conservation-oriented management framework.
"While we do take a different view to
Japan and other pro-whaling countries, Australia
and Japan remain close friends with shared
views on many important issues."
Australia was a founding member of the International
Whaling Commission in 1946, is the host country
of the Commission for the Conservation of
Antarctic Marine Living Resources and a key
player in Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meetings.
