Fish nets threaten whale species, WWF seeks action
Date: 16-Jun-03
Country: GERMANY
The WWF said the new figures came from scientific experts for the International Whaling Commission (IWC) which will hold its annual meeting in Berlin on June 16-19 to review policy.
"This level of bycatch is significantly depleting and disrupting many populations of whales, dolphins and porpoises which will lead to the loss of several species in the next few decades if nothing is done," said Andrew Read, co-chair of the WWF's Cetacean Bycatch Task Force, in a statement.
Read, who jointly led the study into marine mammals, or cetaceans, said experience had shown it was possible to reduce mortality of endangered species while keeping fishing viable.
The WWF said it supported an initiative at the IWC meeting to limit so-called bycatch as well the "Berlin Initiative" - a broader resolution to form a conservation panel. The WWF said both would help alleviate the bycatch problem which particularly hits smaller cetaceans, too weak to break free from nets.
However, whaling nation Japan threatened last week to walk out of the IWC meeting if the initiative was backed.
The "Berlin Initiative" might look like a positive, feel-good development for the International Whaling Commission, but ultimately will be the final blow to the already polarised and dysfunctional IWC, destroying its purpose, Japan said.
Minoru Morimoto, Japan's Commissioner to the IWC, said adoption of the "Berlin Initiative" was a devious strategy to end all sustainable use of whale resources for food.
The annual meeting of the IWC has long been the scene of bitter battles pitting conservationists against those such as Japan, where whale meat is a pricey gourmet food.
