By Kim Choe
Talks that could result in an end to the moratorium on commercial whaling are at an impasse, with both sides of the debate waiting for the other to compromise.
It is looking increasingly likely the latest meeting of the International Whaling Commission will fail to reach a deal – which may spell the group’s end.
The IWC meeting is only in its second day, but after tough talks with Japan, New Zealand’s Foreign Minister Murray McCully has already as good as ruled out any chance of success.
“I think there is a very high possibility, always has been a high possibility, that there will be no agreement brokered here,” says Mr McCully.
“Parties are a long way apart. We have seen some positive moves, but on the scale of the differences that exist, just nowhere near enough.”
But the pro-whaling nations say unless other countries meet them in the middle, there’ll be no deal.
“The main stumbling block is that those who are against whaling seem to be willing to accept nothing but nil, and we cannot accept that. A compromise is a compromise. It cannot be nil,” says Norwegian IWC Commissioner Karsten Klepsvik.
Japan says it has already made significant confessions, including a reduction in the quota for the Southern Ocean, suspending its rights to issue new scientific projects.
These aren’t enough for Australia either, with their Environment Protection Minister accusing Japan, Norway and Iceland of holding proceedings to ransom.
“Effectively three pro-whaling nations are putting a proposal which they support in effect, which numbers of other nations don’t,” says Australian Environment Minister Peter Garrett.
For a while it looked like an agreement by default might be reached, with 17 mostly pro-whaling nations losing their voting rights for reasons including failing to pay their annual fees.
But Mr McCully says it won’t affect the outcome.
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