02
Feb 2009 - Gland, Switzerland – Two “compromise
packages” to end the deadlock on so-called
scientific whaling are too much of a compromise
according to WWF.
The packages, announced
today by IWC Chairman William Hogarth, would
either phase out Japan’s scientific whaling
programme in the Southern Ocean in exchange
for Japan being allowed to take a unspecified
number of minke whales off its coast in
the North Pacific or would allow Japan’s
scientific whaling programme to continue
in the Southern Ocean if it adheres to annual
limits set by the IWC’s Scientific Committee.
“WWF is glad to see
the IWC taking steps toward ending the deadlock
on commercial whaling, and to ending commercial
whaling under the guise of science once
and for all, but these compromise packages
give too much to the whalers and not enough
to whale conservation,” said Dr. Susan Lieberman,
director of WWF International’s Species
Programme.
“What is needed is a
plan to put an immediate halt to all scientific
whaling, which simply has no place in the
21st Century,” added Lieberman.
The package makes no
mention of other whaling nations Iceland
and Norway, which whale under objection
to the IWC’s commercial whaling moratorium.
Iceland recently announced a quota of 100
fin whales – an endangered species – which
is a dramatic increase its original self-assigned
quota of nine. They also almost doubled
their quota of minke whales.
“No package will heal
the IWC if it deals exclusively with one
whaling nation and ignores the rest,” added
Lieberman. “The world’s whales will not
be saved until all governments commit to
their conservation together. It is time
to bring the IWC into the 21st century—as
a whale conservation organization”
The current membership
of the IWC is approximately evenly divided
between whaling and non-whaling nations,
resulting in a political deadlock which
makes it impossible to secure the ¾
majority of votes needed to make major changes
such as putting an end to Japan’s scientific
whaling.
+ More
“Marine turtle bycatch
and longline Observer Programme” project:
Towards more sustainable tuna fisheries
in Vietnam
Observing tuna longline
fishing for the bycatch of marine turtles,
sharks and other fish species, while testing
the application of new hook technology (circle
hooks) in order to reduce bycatch will be
the focus of the “Marine turtle bycatch
and longline observer program” project –
Phase II. The project is implemented by
WWF with support from the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and
Dutch company IbroMar B.V which, as one
of the leading buyers of long line caught
yellow fin tuna in Vietnam, is co-funding
the circle hook program as part of their
sustainable tuna fisheries program.
According to Mr. Keith
Symington, WWF Bycatch Strategy Leader for
the Coral Triangle and Western Pacific,
“these activities will help not only reduce
marine turtle bycatch mortality – a key
conservation objective - but will also help
bridge improvements in overall tuna fisheries
management, a key fisheries reform strategy
ofWWF’s Smart Fishing Network Initiative
(SFNI)”.
Started in November 2006, Phase I of the
project targeted fishing communities in
three provinces: Phu Yen, Binh Dinh, Khanh
Hoa. It aimed to raise awareness of the
role of marine turtles in ocean ecosystems,
the impact of fishing activities on these
endangered species, and to identify “hot
spots” where marine turtles interact with
fishing gear within Vietnam’s territorial.
Marine turtle rescue and handling techniques
were also introduced to fishermen.
“We thought that turtles managed to cheat
us: they pretend to be dead when taken on
board and then awake and swim very fast
once released back to the sea. Now I know
that they are just like humans, having lungs
and susceptible to drowning too. We also
know how important sea turtles are to the
marine ecosystem. We need to protect them!”
expressed a fisherman from Phu Yen after
the training course recently organized in
Nha Trang (Khanh Hoa province). A similar
course was held in Quy Nhon (Binh Dinh province).
Nguyen Thi Dieu Thuy, WWF’s Fisheries Officer
said “The project is beneficial for not
only fishing communities but also professionals.
After receiving training on observer program
protocols, bycatch species identification
and data recording, three scientists from
the Research Institute of Marine Fisheries
(RIMF) boarded three longline fishing boats
from Binh Dinh to test their training and
begin recording data.”
“The result of their trips will serve to
enlarge the observer program and commence
circle hook trials in early 2009 with new
support from NOAA. This will be a key activity
of phase II scheduled to last through to
January of 2010”, Thuy added.
Commenting on their new working partnership
with WWF, IbroMar B.V Director Martin Brugman
said “There are still big tasks ahead but,
as the message we tried to bring towards
fishermen, observers and other participants:
'together we can'”. IbroMar’s sustainable
fisheries program “aims to facilitate more
sustainable long line fishing in Vietnam
whilst improving its’ quality to the highest
possible level”, added Mr. Brugman.
For further information please contact Ms
Nguyen Thi Dieu Thuy
For more information about IbroMar B.V visit:
www.ibromar.com
