IWC 60 - Second Day of Plenary Part 1

The proposed schedule amendment from Greenland found its way into all of our mailboxes this morning. They are requesting to add ten humpback whales per year to their aboriginal hunt. The issue of aboriginal whaling is on the agenda for this morning. The big question is whether the European Union (EU) will vote as a block as they have agreed to do this year or whether, due to differing opinions, they will vote independently. The fear from the NGO community is that if they vote as a block, the amendment will likely pass (it needs a 3/4 majority). There has been a lot of discussion about how each country would vote and there are at least four countries that I have heard would likely vote for the amendment.

The World Society of the Protection of Animals (WSPA) produced a multi-page document detailing how whale meat from Greenland's aboriginal hunt makes its way into supermarkets throughout the country. These publications have been distributed throughout the meeting and they certainly beg the question about whether Greenland's hunt is aboriginal or commercial. We'll see how it all plays out during the meeting.