ECO: The environmental voice at the IWC

ECO is published by Earth Island Institute’s International Marine Mammal Project at the meeting of the International Whaling Commission on behalf of environmental and animal welfare organizations around the globe.

For further information, please contact: Mark J. Palmer, Associate Director, Earth Island Institute, International Marine Mammal Project.

Previous volumes of ECO are available here.

Eco

Volume LXIV · Panama City, Panama · No. 5 · Friday July 6, 2012
Acrobat .pdf of issue

Greenland’s Enhanced Quotas Fail

Yesterday, the IWC voted down Greenland’s latest attempt to increase their so-called aboriginal subsistence quotas, much of which winds up for sale in stores and high-end tourist restaurants. Only 25 delegations voted for the proposal, with 34 against and 3 abstentions.

The US continued to baffle observers by voting for the quota and defending Greenland’s “need” for more and more whale meat. Japan’s puppet nations also supported the quota.

The big question now: Will Greenland follow the US example and ignore the vote against their quota increase and unilaterally issue new quotas for killing whales? Or maybe they will join Japan and Korea in issuing scientific permits?