Eugene Lapointe, President of IWMC World
Conservation Trust, today called on the International Whaling Commission
(IWC) to move quickly to resolve the issue of whale quotas for coastal and
indigenous populations.
The annual meeting of the IWC in Shimonoseki (20-24 May) was criticized
when it failed to authorize small quotas for the Inupiat communities in
Alaska and Siberia and for four traditional Japanese whaling communities.
Mr. Lapointe said: "The traditions and culture of all these
communities should be respected and whaling quotas should be quickly
agreed. All of the proposals can be accepted against the background of
rising regional whale stocks and are therefore fully sustainable. This
should not be a point of controversy."
Mr. Lapointe added: "These communities have got caught up in a
longstanding political game which will need to be resolved by IWC member
states. Opposition to the Japanese quota on the grounds that some of the
whale meat would be sold outside these specific communities is, at best, a
spurious argument for stopping the hunt and, at worst, is anti-Japanese
racism. The IWC has to get beyond this pettiness and take a more informed
look at the traditions and culture of all these communities, as well as
their dietary and spiritual history." 
IWMC World Conservation Trust participated in the IWC annual meeting as
a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) observer. It is involved in a wide
range of conservation and wildlife issues and presents proposals to many
different international bodies on the management of mammals and fisheries.
IWMC World Conservation Trust advocates the use of science-based
wildlife management techniques and the humane, ethical and fair treatment
of all people whose customs and traditions involve the sustainable use of
wildlife resources.
