IWMC World Conservation Trust

Among the 13 signatories to this Resolution were the Vice-Minister of Fisheries of Mexico, and the Senior Advisor for Fisheries to the Minister of Agriculture of Brazil. 

At the International Whaling Commission 51st Annual Meeting in Grenada, end of May 1999, there were two different proposals presented to insert Secret Ballot Provisions within IWC Rules of Procedure. In both cases, Brazil and Mexico voted against the proposals i.e. against their Minister's decisions. 

As noted elsewhere in this newsletter, the primacy of the “secret ballot” is acknowledged and practiced in nations such as the United States where their citizens are asked to cast ballots in defense of their participatory form of government. Freedom from intimidation and the freedom to vote one’s conscious are key to preservation of the basic rights granted at birth to every human. 

The importance of the secret ballot is no less important on the international scene. It insures that the smallest, most dependent nation has an equal voice with that of the most powerful. The veil of secrecy is not to hide the truth, but to safeguard it. No would be dictator can control the will of the people, if the people are allowed to vote freely and without intimidation. 

This principle must be preserved and it must be made part of the IWC process. Had the secret ballot been in place several issues would have been decidedly different in their outcome, including the Resolution calling for the expulsion of Greenpeace from the meeting for acts of piracy, harassment and threats that could have been supported by countries with a strong philosophy of law abiding such as Switzerland.�
  

As the ancient saying goes, every journey begins with a step. That step was taken by the Makah’s for all whaling people.�   Congratulations!
  

The USA delegation was well prepared to discuss these two issues. On 26 May, the USA delegation presented a video explaining the consequences of environment threats on cetaceans. The video showed a dramatic picture of dead belugas with a caption stating that "Those dead belugas found in the St. Lawrence Estuary in Canada were full of contaminants and pollution agents." The USA delegation also distributed a document on the environment threats. That document included the same photograph of "the dead belugas in the St. Lawrence River." Unfortunately for the USA delegation they forgot to remove the caption at the bottom of the photograph that gives credit to the author of the photograph that accurately identified them as "dead begulas in Alaska." 

When asked by the IWC Commissioner from Japan if this was an intentional way of misleading the public, Michael Tillman, the IWC Deputy Commissioner for the USA, could only reply: "We have acquired a general license to reproduce sexy pictures." We don’t think that license should include misleading the public.�
  

Extreme NGOs and “like-minded” anti-whaling IWC delegations gloated over the defeat of a bid to have IWC policy decided by secret ballot. Their fear is that various nations who can be bullied into voting with “like-minded” delegations or into taking a walk during a critical vote would no longer be susceptible to economic blackmail by major world powers. Movie fans recognize the technique from the “Godfather” films.�
  

At issue was Japan’s traditional harvest of Dall’s porpoises. Given a population of over 440,000 and a sustainable catch cap set at 17,700 (and reported regularly to IWC), Japan and other sympathetic nations reacted with justified indignation at the IWC call for Japan to reduce its catch and provide population data. Contrary to contentions by the “like-minded” anti-whaling nations and EIA, information on Dall’s porpoise populations can be found readily in Japanese literature on fisheries and cetacean research. 

The vote on the resolution by the USA, UK, Australia, France and others urging Japan to downsize its domestic Dall porpoise harvest drew a ballot boycott by Japan and six other Member States. The nations that walked out rightfully pointed out the lack of IWC jurisdiction over small cetaceans and raised the issue of IWC violating Japan’s sovereign resource management rights. Their protest was joined by six other Member States who voted against, but the eighteen who voted in favor came on the heels of EIA representatives handing out copies of its crude, poorly written and self-serving diatribe “Japan’s Senseless Slaughter,” subtitled “The Largest Cetacean Kill in the World.”�
  

Forkan’s obsequious overture to the Makah’s omitted a few facts. She neglected to say that HSUS has worked for years to block the Makah whale hunt. She failed to mention that HSUS “whale expert” Naomi Rose called U.S. efforts to finally live up to one of its treaties with a First People and support the Makah hunt “obscene.” She didn’t mention that HSUS is behind efforts to have IWC adopt “humane killing” standards, so impossible to meet that they would shut down all whaling on a “technicality.” She also didn’t mention that part, if not most of, the funding for the sophomoric publication, ECO, published by a consortium of like-minded cultural racist NGOs came from her organizations. ECO’s three editions distributed at IWC were filled with anti-Makah venom including the front-page “cartoon” equating the Makah with international genocide practitioners. 

The Makah representative challenged Forkan to put her claim that HSUS/HSI were neither anti-whaling nor opposed to whaling cultures in writing. The Makah’s are not holding their breath until such a document appears in the mail.�
  

Japan’s small-type whaling communities have requested of IWC a minimum minke whale quota for the past dozen years. It’s their right, their heritage. Every year they watch as that patient and respectful request is denied. The 51st meeting of IWC in Grenada was no different. The bid for 50 minke whales was made and lost to negative ballots cast by the United States delegation and its “Lucy-like” colleagues. 

The prejudice held by “Lucy-like minded” national delegations against Japan has become glaringly apparent to members of the Japanese delegation. The Associated Press reported that the denial of the 50 minke request resulted from the USA’s “double standard.” The Makah First People got their whale after a 70-year whaling hiatus. Japan’s four coastal whaling communities continued to take minke whales until the IWC moratorium went into effect. In all other aspects, the cultural imperatives remained the same…except the whaling people denied their whales are Japanese.�
  

Strict standards exist for officials prior to their acceptance as representatives of their country. Credentials authorizing individuals to represent their governments must be signed by the Head of Government or the Head of State or, at the very least, the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Those credentials then must be presented to IWC to allow a delegation to be officially accepted as representing their country and to authorize them to vote on behalf of their people. 

At the IWC51st Annual Meeting in Grenada, the "credentials" presented by the Commissioner from New Zealand, Mr. J. McLay appeared to bend, break or reshape all the rules. According to sources, Mr. McLay’s credentials consisted of a sheet of white paper with his hotel room number, in Grenada, as letterhead. The authorizing signature was Mr. McLay’s. Apparantly Mr. McLay created his own “do-it-yourself” credentials. If sources are correct and the information related above is accurate, Mr. McLay authorized himself to represent his country… 

IWMC was informed that this "unusual" credential was duly accepted, allowing the New Zealand representative to continue his struggle against the people facing starvation with his colleagues from the other “like-minded"delegations.�
  

• In Grenada, Australia in response to the Scientific Study claiming that whales eat three to six times more marine resources than human beings, claimed that "while some whale species might eat fish… most don't." What do they eat? For an answer, that nation should look to the Institute for Cetacean Research. Perhaps they could enlighten the gentle folk from down under.
• One French journalist reported that during the debate on the allocation of a quota two whales to St. Vincent and the Grenadines, the delegations of France and United Kingdom were "offended" by the sense of humor of the IWC Commissioner of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Tsk, Tsk. Next the hospitality of the Caribbean and the friendly people will be chastised by stuffy diplomats who seemed to have left their ability to smile at home. One wonders if delegates can openly joke about the ability of at least one head of state to indulge in mating rituals with non-spouses, they can enjoy a moment of humor about whales. 
• What about the recent election to the IWC Scientific Committee where both the Chairman and Vice-Chairman are Americans? What about the principle of alternation, one of the most respected notions in international relations? Are all non-American scientists unqualified?�

One of the most infamous chapters in IWC history had NGO reps, purchasing and acting as delegates from Caribbean Island states before those state governments realized the import of the ruse. Whaling nations, cultures and island communities spent 12 years seeking justice with nothing to show but frustration. 

The Grenada meetings may be the IWC’s turning point. 

Whaling people from the Caribbean, the circumpolar region, the Atlantic and Pacific experienced an energizing phenomenon: a growing sense of unity. 

Cultural imperialism, NGO arrogance will no longer be tolerated. Sovereign and cultural rights are beginning to strike a resonating chord with the world’s population. Next year in Australia, IWC will be different. 

That’s a prediction.�
  

The deadline for applications is 11 June for the position of Chief of the Enforcement Assistance Unit and 15 June for the other three positions.�