U.S. now objects to IWC Membership for Iceland

Berlin, Germany, 15 June 2003 - Having publicly and privately asserted its support for Iceland's IWC membership, the US has now gone back on its word and filed an objection to Iceland's membership. Sad to say, such duplicitous behavior has become all too typical of the US and its allies in the anti-whaling camp, all of whom appear willing to sacrifice the IWC's - and their own - credibility in order to advance their narrow anti-sustainable use agendas.

Iceland gained IWC membership in an unnecessary, but thoroughly democratic vote at a Special IWC Intersessional Meeting in Cambridge, UK, in October 2002. Unfortunately, several IWC members are less than comfortable with democratic procedures, particularly when those procedures yield unwelcome outcomes. Consequently, the past seven months have witnessed an increasingly hysterical campaign designed to turn back the democratic vote, unseat Iceland and bully the IWC back into line with the US.

"Democracy is not always triumphant and there is every reason to believe that the anti-Iceland forces will emerge victorious", said Eugene Lapointe, IWMC President. "Will the process stop here? If Iceland can be unseated, then why should the enemies of democracy stop there? Why not expel Antigua and Barbuda, Japan, Norway, St. Vincent or any other national that has the temerity to stand up to the US, UK, New Zealand and their friends in the international axis of intolerance?" added Mr. Lapointe.

Perhaps the autocrats of London and Berlin might even want to take a look at the US itself, as it professes loyalty to the anti-whaling cause while showering its own domestic whalers with new tax breaks and exempting all of its armed forces from the strictures of the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Now that might go some way to re-establish a little IWC credibility.

For further information, contact Eugène Lapointe
Switzerland: +41.79.327-3034 or email: iwmc@iwmc.org