21/06/2005 - Australian
and pro-conservation nations have won an
historic vote at the 57th meeting of the
International Whaling Commission (IWC) in
Ulsan, South Korea, the Minister for the
Environment and Heritage, Senator Ian Campbell
said today.
“This is a win for whales,” Senator Campbell
said.
“It’s also a win for the people of Australia
and other like-minded nations, who were
determined that the world would not take
a step back towards the re-opening of commercial
whaling.
“This morning, the world stood at the edge
of an abyss. If pro-whaling nations had
succeeded, we would have moved back toward
the dark ages of commercial whaling.
“Instead, the world moved forward into
an era where conservation and the environment
are the winners.”
IWC nations voted on Japan’s proposed “Revised
Management Scheme”, which, if successful,
would have meant the end of two decades
of a moratorium on commercial whaling.
The vote for commercial whaling was supported
by 23 pro-whaling nations and opposed by
29 proconservation nations, including Australia.
Five nations abstained from voting.
“Pro-whaling nations are on the wrong side
of history,” said Senator Campbell.
“This is a critical step in our ongoing
fight to see commercial whaling relegated
to the history books – a fight we will not
give up,” Senator Campbell said.
