• IWMC is a non-profit international organization that promotes sustainable use as a wildlife conservation mechanism, the protection of the sovereign rights of independent nations and respect for diverse cultures and traditions. Eugene Lapointe, President and Founder of IWMC, was Secretary General of CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) from 1982 to 1990. IWMC opposes the Sakhalin II project because it believes it is not environmentally sustainable in its current form. Given the status of the whale population, the impact of SEIC's activities on the western grays should be no worse than neutral. SEIC has a duty not only to minimize the negative impact of its activities but to offset them with additional actions that promote their welfare.

• In a Parliamentary reply on 25 February, 2004 to Mr. Peter Ainsworth, Mike O'Brien, Minister for Energy, said: "The Government are aware of the potential impacts that the Sakhalin II project may have on the Western Gray Whales. I have written to Sakhalin Energy making clear the importance that we attach to ensuring that these are properly minimized and that the best scientific advice is being followed. In determining this, ECGD officials will be taking advice from recognized independent whale experts and will take into account the views of interested NGOs. I expect that details of the whale protection measures agreed with Sakhalin Energy will be published and that compliance with them would be a contractual obligation on the company. Qualified consultants would monitor compliance with these obligations on behalf of ECGD and the other lenders, should support be eventually agreed." (Col. 480W).

• “Impacts of Sakhalin 2 Phase II on Western North Pacific Gray Whales and Related Biodiversity – Report of the Independent Scientific Review Panel” can be read at:

www.iucn.org/themes/business/Docs//ISRP_Executive_summary_in_English.pdf
and at
www.iucn.org/themes/business/Docs//ISRP_Report_with_covers_low_res.pdf

• SEIC’s decision can be read at
  http://www.sakhalinenergy.com/news/nws_releases.asp

• In the four months since the ISRP report was published, SEIC has failed to explain how it will deal with the increased risks to western gray whales identified by the ISRP report. It has also ignored the Panel's recommendation for comprehensive east Asia conservation strategy for the whales. SEIC has, in the same time period, signed commercial agreements with Korea Gas Corporation, Tokyo Gas, Hiroshima Gas, Tohoku Electric and Toho Gas.

• IWMC is concerned that SEIC's "follow-up workshop" established in May 2005 has no teeth to protect the gray whale population and has limited NGO participation.

• IWMC supports the establishment by the International Whaling Commission of a management system for harvesting whales known as the Revised Management Scheme (RMS) because it believes that whale conservation is best served by the establishment of an international regulatory regime.

For further information, contact Eugène Lapointe
Florida: +1(727) 734-4949 or email: iwmc@iwmc.org