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| Native whaling cultures and whaling nations
vow the racial and cultural prejudice they’ve patiently endured for more
than a dozen years at the International Whaling Commission (IWC) will no
longer be tolerated, according to Eugene Lapointe, president of IWMC-World
Conservation Trust.
“Next year, IWC will be ‘ours!’ That is the message these proud and patient people from the Caribbean, Polynesia, the Circumpolar region, the Americas’ Pacific Northwest, Japan, Iceland, Norway, etc. are taking from Grenada,” said Lapointe. The arrogance and open prejudice exhibited toward traditional whaling cultures and nations was difficult for many first-time observers concerned with respect for basic civil rights to watch. One observer likened the process to the seemingly futile attempt by minorities in the U.S.A. to have their rights respected during the era of “JIM CROW” segregation. The hostility and uncompromising stance of anti-whaling nations towards the Japanese delegation was most apparent and appalling. “The Japanese are a respectful and tolerant people. For a dozen years four Japanese coastal communities whose people’s culture and history has been tied to whales and whaling for thousands of years have asked for a minimum quota of minke whales. Every year they ask for a few whales (the worldwide minke population is over 1 million) and every year, IWC says no.” The IWC moratorium on whaling, enacted in 1982, was originally an eight-year hiatus during which data on whale populations were to be gathered. Seventeen years later it is still in effect with exemptions for research and “aboriginal subsistence” harvests. Various native whaling cultures such as the Bequians in St. Vincents and the Grenadines Islands in the Caribbean; Inuits in Greenland, Russia, Canada and Alaska; and a handful of others have been granted token whale quotas. Japanese villages whose people derive much of their tradition and identity from their ancient whaling culture receive none. “Whale stocks are thriving while IWC pushes ancient whaling people to
the brink of cultural extinction. They say there is no ‘need’ to
eat whale any more. There are other foods to eat. That is like
telling Americans there is no ‘need’ for baseball or the British there
is no ‘need’ for cricket. There are plenty of other sports to play,”
said Lapointe. “Whaling people now understand the importance of unity.
When these people say ‘next year’ will be different, I believe them.” Ť
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