Whaling -- keeping Japan at the table

New Zealand is one of the most vocal anti-whaling countries in the world, and I am proud and committed to continuing that tradition.

Whales are extraordinary, beautiful creatures with which most Kiwis feel a deep spiritual connection. In the past twenty or so years, Japan has killed thousands of whales under the guise of ‘scientific research’. I am strongly opposed to this form of whaling, because it is not necessary to kill whales to study them.

It’s important to act to try to stop whaling, but it’s important to go about it the right way.

New Zealand’s best opportunity to try to influence the actions of Japanese whalers in the Southern Ocean is through dialogue, diplomacy and direct negotiation. The actions by protest boats in Antarctic waters reflect the anti-whaling views that most New Zealanders share. However, as Minister of Conservation, I feel it’s vital to stay at the table with Japan to put across our view that whales need to be protected and conserved, not hunted and killed.

For the most part, Japan alternates its whaling each year between the Southern Ocean south of New Zealand, and the Southern Ocean south of Australia. Last year, Japan was predominantly whaling in the Ross Sea south of New Zealand and this year began whaling south of Australia.

Late last week, a Royal New Zealand Air Force Orion spotted the Japanese whalers, while out doing routine surveillance of illegal fishing in the Southern Ocean. The whaling fleet was heading towards the Ross Sea, which was very concerning for New Zealand because we are responsible for search and rescue in this area. Our concern follows a number of dangerous and tragic incidents in New Zealand’s rescue zone last year; including a collision, protesters lost at sea and a fire aboard the Japanese ship, the Nisshin Maru, in which a crew member died.

Some people called on the government to stop the Japanese whaling fleet coming into ‘our territory’ or tried to claim it was illegal for them to come to ‘New Zealand waters’. In fact, the Ross Sea is not New Zealand territory. We do not have the right to control the area. New Zealand is responsible for search and rescue in the area as a result of international agreements, which means we provide assistance for vessels and people in distress within this area.

Rather than sending a New Zealand Defence Force vessel down to try to physically stop the Japanese whaling in the Southern Ocean (to interfere with their whaling fleet is probably against international maritime law), the most effective way New Zealand can try to save the whales is through the international body that oversees whaling throughout the world; the International Whaling Commission (IWC). Japan is a member of the commission, along with New Zealand and 76 other countries that are both for and against whaling. It is through this commission that we need to keep the pressure on Japan, openly and face-to-face.

We have investigated other ways of stopping this whaling, through legal action for example. The difficulty is that Japan’s whaling falls into a loophole, with IWC members able to to carry out whaling for ‘scientific research’ under Article VIII of the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling (ICRW). There are serious doubts about the validity of this so-called ‘research’, but we would have to change the convention to close the loophole. Given the entrenched pro and anti whaling views of countries within it, change would be virtually impossible to achieve.

We have tried other methods also, by leading and passing resolutions against Japan’s whaling programme at five of the last seven annual IWC meetings, calling on Japan to stop its lethal scientific whaling for good. The most recent resolution was drafted by New Zealand in June last year. New Zealand must continue lobbying Japan in this international forum to try to bring about change.

This year marks a crucial time for the IWC, which urgently needs to be modernised to work effectively. Given that roughly half and half of the 77 members are pro and anti-whaling, they can’t reach agreement on how to reform the IWC, leaving it stuck in a stalemate. The future of the IWC relies on breaking this deadlock and urgently agreeing a new approach.

New Zealand has a leading role in this work of exploring a new way of working together at the IWC. A special meeting is being held in London in March to try to identify how best to move forward before the annual meeting of the IWC in June. New Zealand officials are currently working with other countries, including Japan and the United States, to figure out how best to do this. The IWC needs to be reformed into an effective body to control whaling throughout the world, and this is the platform through which New Zealand can effectively work to end all whaling.

Japan this year agreed not to kill any humpback whales, which we can claim as a small victory and a sign that international pressure can make a difference. But we need a more functional IWC to do more. Next year, the Japanese may again try to target humpbacks. This would be a disaster for the species and for many whale watching industries. It’s time to up the pressure on Japan, not by boarding their whaling vessels, but by reasoning with them face to face through dialogue, diplomacy and direct talks.