Everyone at the International Whaling Commission (or IWC) keeps assuring me that international meetings to decide important environmental issues aren’t normally like this.
The IWC is becoming something of a joke on the international stage. In recent years the IWC was a forum for fiery debate between pro conservation and pro whaling countries. The flashpoint nearly always focused around Japan’s controversial ‘scientific’ whaling program.
Most recently there’s been a truce and an agreement to sort out the mess by consensus.
But after a year of closed-door talks, there’s been no progress with Japan refusing to act in good faith by continuing it’s Southern Ocean hunt, needlessly slaughtering hundreds of waters in pristine Antarctic waters.
At this meeting Australia and her pro conservation allies have around 45 votes compared to Japan and other pro-whaling countries numbering around 24.
It looks almost certain that the only thing the IWC members will agree upon is to keep talking for another year. This is pretty absurd given that Japan will again embark on a senseless whaling hunt next summer.
The more time I spend at this meeting the more it becomes apparent that if there is any future for the whales it doesn’t lie with the IWC.
