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ECO Vol LI, No.2 stories 5/25/99 (IWC meeting in Grenada)
Article Index:
1) NGOs In! The greatest thing about portraying yourself as an underdog is being able to nip at the heels of those who bother you. So it was that the 51st meeting of this revered organisation soon got into a dog fight over the presence of certain NGOs in the room. Japan started it a few months ago when it threatened to have Greenpeace ejected because it used direct action tactics against Japanese whalers on their way to the killing fields of the Antarctic Sanctuary. Direct action? Civil disobedience? Good lord, we can't allow that... better toss those bums out! Next came WDCS who slipped by letting some of the dark secrets from the (inhumane) killing methods workshop loose on their web site. Spreading the truth? Good lord, we can't allow that... better toss those bums out too. IFAW got the nod next, having transgressed by revealing the content of a paper submitted to the Scientific Committee. Wow. What followed was a semi-brutal assault by Japan that left Greenpeace standing tall with the support of a clear majority of IWC members (22/9/3). Not unnoticed was France's eloquent defence of Greenpeace tactics. The upshot of it all was a US sponsored resolution inviting NGOs even further in. Perhaps surprisingly, it passed with another clear majority (24/9/4). Yahoo. Now we can really get involved. Thanks Japan! 2) Sabotage Filing one frivolous procedural motion after another, Japan brought the IWC meeting to a screeching halt on its first day of plenary session. Impeding all forward motion for an entire day, Japan clearly trespassed on the intellectual property, time and patience of those in attendance. The first diversion lasted until 2:00pm. This involved the persistent questioning of the legitimacy of other delegates' credentials, an interesting opening gambit. Many speakers, including the Prime Minister of Grenada, prefer opening with a joke. Even when the Chairman assured Japan that the credentials were in order, they responded that they might believe him if they could see for themselves. Then came the resurrected debate over the use of secret ballots to hide Caribbean pro-whaling votes. The Honorable Representative from Antigua-Barbuda gave an eloquent explanation as to why allowing governments to become less accountable to their people defends democracy. The secret ballot failed except, out of mercy, when IWC officers are being elected. After the attack on NGOs that are Naughty [covered on p. 1], that old standby of Japan, their small scale coastal whaling proposal, was introduced. For the twelfth year running, the idea was rejected, but by a narrow 14 to 12 vote. Decrying the demise of the IWC while working to ensure it continues to hobble along appears to be the whalers' current strategy. 3) B.C. natives claim whaling right That's not our headline, it comes from the Times Colonist of Victoria, British Columbia, a couple of days after the Makah tribe of Washington State killed their first gray whale in 75 years. That's how long it took for B.C. natives to proclaim what we knew would come: their demand to be allowed to kill whales because of their long-time cultural ties to the practice. The B.C. government quickly denounced the idea, but federal Canadian politicians ducked, saying the courts have to decide. Given the thousands of aboriginal people from around the world who've flooded into Neah Bay, we know one outcome... that slippery slope is out of control. What happens next is anyone's guess. 4) Bilateral considerations We're not sure if it's the heat or the friendly environment that induces such a relaxed mood here, but ducking issues appears to be fast becoming the way of the day. Example... we came here totally expecting this meeting to make it clear to the world that the IWC has not sanctioned the killing of gray whales by the Makah. Guess again. As far as we can determine, no one, no one is prepared to push the Makah issue at this meeting. Why? "Bilateral considerations". That's diplospeak for other issues between the US and whatever other nation you might care to name (it's a long list) that apparently take precedence over the fate of whales. As a result, the Makah look like cruising through this meeting untouched... on apathy or fear, take your pick. When the relevant subcommittees (aboriginal subsistence whaling and infractions) met last week, not one question about the Makah kill was raised. Why? Apparently, as usual, infractions of IWC rules do not apply to the USA. For shame! 5) Keiko saves Iceland's whales The dream of returning the orca whale Keiko, star of the Free Willy movies, to his home waters has finally been realized. Nearly five years have passed since Keiko first captured the world's attention while still in Mexico City, after the release of the feature film. Keiko was warmly received by the Icelandic Westmann Islands community, with over 4,000 children and adults alike waving signs and banners, and sporting t-shirts: "Velkommen Keiko". The schools gave the entire student community the day off for the rollicking celebration. His arrival has already prompted a dramatic increase in scientific research into orcas and the educational value of whale conservation. A new understanding is deveoping in Iceland of the enduring value of watching and protecting whales. 6) The Caribbean brawl Phony IWC media event ousts real reporter Ever felt you'd been had? If not, we suggest you talk to Mattias Peltier and find out what it's like. Mattias is a BBC Caribbean correspondent based in Dominica. The BBC asked him to cover this meeting, so (perhaps naively) he went to the "International Whaling Commission Media Symposium" that appeared to be an official part of the IWC conference. Held at the Spice Island Resort, this turned out to be a sleazy affair sponsored by "The Caribbean Broadcasting Union" and a gang of Japan-fronting (Un)wise users including UWU chief Eugene Lapointe as the keynote speaker, Japan's notorious flack Alan Macnow, apologist Dan Goodman, and World Council of Whalers chief mouthpiece Tom Happynook. Call them a bunch of lackeys if you like, we call the event a con. Titles like "Sustainable use of marine resources in the Caribbean", "Whaling traditions in the Caribbean", and "Whale propaganda wars" probably gave the game away. Mattias caught on and no doubt asked some pointed questions. The ever vigilant Macnow pounced, proclaiming Mattias to be an agent provocateur planted by whale loving greenies and demanding that he leave. Jamaican journalist John Maxwell then said that if Matthias was thrown out, he would split too. They did. On their way out, Matthias and Maxwell were followed closely by Antigua Commissioner Daven Joseph. Outside the conference room, Joseph spotted Henry Shillingford of the Dominica Conservation Association, and launched into a virulent attack on him for representing "white imperialists who want to deprive small vulnerable societies of their traditional cultural pursuits". During the ensuing melee Macnow pushed Joseph aside forcibly, apparently attempting to restore order. Undeterred, Daven Joseph raged on, telling Shillingford he should be ashamed to be a Rastafarian who puts white imperialist interests above those of his fellow Caribbean peoples. This drew the rest of the Caribbean press outside. They went to work, interviewing Joseph and his cohorts with real time stories that hit the nightly news. Backfire? Better believe it. 7) An "undiplomatic" question Japan's antagonism toward NGOs boiled over repeatedly Monday. Perhaps the most astonishing statement was that Japan would not agree to abide by the rules of procedure regarding admision of observers that the United States was proposing. After the resolution was adopted overwhelmingly (24 to 9), the Netherlands asked for an explanation of Japan's defiant statement. The IWC chairman quickly warned that pursuing the question was unwise. "Diplomacy" prevailed, and the query, like a harpooned whale, died. 8) oops Before the vote on dumping Greenpeace, Secretary Gambell carefully explained, twice, that a "Yes" vote meant supporting Japan and a "No" vote meant opposing Japan (and supporting Greenpeace.) First up, St. Lucia clearly answered "No". Incredulous, because everyone knows how St. Lucia is supposed to vote, the Secretary felt obliged to ask St. Lucia if they really meant "No", explaining yet again what it meant. The roll call started over, St. Lucia voted "Yes." 9)Out of the dark By late afternoon on day one, and to our great surprise, Japan hatched another plot... let's open everything to the media! O.K. we say. Let;s put it all out in the open, for the world to see.... and let the world judge. 10) No sweat, Mon! Britannia's rules The formal dress code imposed on IWC delegations and NGOs By Antigua and other Caribbean nations no doubt reflects their sense of allegiance to Queen and Mother Country. Coat-and-tie formality in the tropics sends the unmistakeable message that Britannia still rules. Back to Eco Main Page. |
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