EDITORIAL:
IFAW Charity!
The
world's largest animal rights charity has caused quite a stir by some charity
of its own. The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) has just agreed
to give an estimated US$1.7 million to Brian Davies.
The payments are allowing IFAW to continue to use Davies' name and picture in their literature. One might wonder why payment would be necessary if there was any true commitment to the animal rights goals and philosophy but apparently, in this instance, money speaks louder than words. Eugene Lapointe, President of IWMC-World Conservation Trust, said: "The payment to Davies is not surprising. Most of us in the sustainable use field have always known that economics and personal wealth were the primary motivator in the animal rights industry." Sources in IFAW have been quoted
as expressing concern about the effect the pay-off will have on IFAW's
primary contributor base, which they typify as "little old ladies."
72% of IFAW's contributors are female and the majority are over 55, according
to their fund-raising surveys. Others in IFAW are less concerned. A fund
spokesman said: "Under this agreement, which terminates on January 31,
2005, Mr. Davies receives a set amount each year which is significantly
less than one percent of fund annual contributions worldwide." Not too
significantly less, however, for one percent of IFAW's worldwide annual
contributions would be about US$540,000.š
Experimental
trade in ivory
In
a message published in the first issue of our IWMC Newsleter, we indicated
that the CITES Standing Committee, during its 41st meeting held in Geneva
from 8 to 12 February 1999, had agreed that all of the conditions set forth
in Decision 10.1 of the Conference of the Parties had been met by Namibia,
Japan and Zimbabwe. With regard to Botswana, a further verification by
the Secretariat had been requested. We are pleased to inform now that the
verification has taken place and that the Chairman of the Standing Committee
has now confirmed that Botswana is also authorized to export its stock
of ivory to Japan. We have been informed that the actual export of the
stocks should take place by mid-April, the sale and shipment procedures,
as well as the import process, being monitored by representatives of the
Secretariat. Congratulation to the four concerned countries.š
UNEP and
trade in wildlife.
In
a recent Notification to the Parties, the CITES Secretariat has informed
of the appointment of the new Secretary General of CITES, Mr Willem W.
Wijnstekers. To introduce Mr Wijnstekers, the Secretariat cited an abstract
of a statement by UNEP, which included the following : « With his
long experience and detailed knowledge of CITES, Mr Wijnstekers will be
a valuable asset in the global fight to combat the international wildlife
trade ; a trade worth billions of dollars annually, and one that has caused
massive declines in the numbers of many species of animals and plants worldwide,
» said Dr Töpfer. If the reference to ALL trade in wildlife
was a « typographical error » (Freud would say a lapsus), it
could have been corrected since then. It was not to our knowledge. In any
case this will not improve our feeling about UNEP.š
Trade in
Caviar
In
another Notification to the Parties, the CITES Secretariat recommends,
on the basis of responses from Parties and the advice of experts, «
that permits and certificates stating that shipments contain caviar acquired
before 1 April 1998 should be thoroughly investigated and that no declaration
of pre-Convention caviar should be accepted after 1 April 1999 ».
We may regret that the Secretariat did not refer to the Final Statement
of the Participants to a workshop organized by IWMC last September in Lausanne
(formally distributed at the last meeting of the Standing Committee), in
which the Caspian States "urged the CITES Parties not to authorize any
import of pre-Convention stock of caviar from 1st April 1999". Nevertheless,
we must support to the Secretariat's recommendation and a total ban on
any international trade in so-called "pre-Convention caviar".š
Icelandic
Parliament Approves Whaling Resumption
On
March 10, 1999 the Icelandic Parliament, the Althingi, voted overwhelmingly
to request the Icelandic government to allow, oversee, and organize a resumption
of commercial whaling as soon as possible. The Althingi called for this
renewed harvest to be carried out with the advice of its Marine Research
Institute, under government supervision, and for Iceland to assert its
sovereign right to utilize the abundant marine resources in its own waters,
in accordance with Article 65 of UNCLOS. This move came following a Gallup
Poll last autumn in Iceland, which demonstrated that 81% of Icelanders
were in favor of starting whaling again. The unified Althingi vote was
its first opinion on whaling since 1983, when it advised the government
not to object to the IWC moratorium.š
U.S. Government,
Fishermen, Disagree over Otters
In
1986, U.S. federal officials agreed to keep sea otters out of the waters
off southern California. Now they are not keeping their promise, and the
animals are devastating the shellfish industry of the area around Santa
Barbara. Relocation of the animals has failed to solve their general population
decline, but they seem to be returning to do tremendous damage to red abalone,
sea urchins, and other marketable seafood upon which southern California's
fishermen depend. The animals are protected under the U.S. Marine Mammal
Protection Act, and protest groups are holding the government to its obligations
under the Act, not to do anything without following due process, which
could take months. Thus, the fishermen of Southern California are expecting
further losses this year.š
Children's
Pool Remains Closed
The
beach in La Jolla, California, known as Childrens Pool, remains closed
since 1997 due to fecal contamination from harbor seals, which have taken
over its entire area. The National Marine Fisheries Service and local authorities
have still not decided what may be done to solve this problem, since the
U.S. MMPA forbids even disturbing a seal. Public health authorities are
also unable to do anything, except forbid people to swim in the murky waters
with the animals. š
General Information
|
