Whale meeting makes "little progress"

Conservationists have expressed disappointment that last week's meeting on the world's whales made no progress in their protection.

Delegates from worldwide countries met in Chile throughout the week for the annual meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC).

The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) said the meeting failed to address growing threats to whales and made little progress in addressing problems facing the function of the IWC.

The group claims that one of the main threats is increased whaling by Japan, Iceland and Norway.

"The commission is trying to chart a course for the future while ignoring ongoing whaling by just three member countries," said IFAW UK director Robbie Marsland.

"Whale conservation measures were put on ice at this meeting. If Japan, Norway and Iceland are serious about compromise, they should prove it by suspending their ongoing whaling."

The WWF has also expressed concern that progress in whale conservation could take too long for some threatened whale and dolphin species.

Dr Susan Lieberman, of WWF international species programme, said: "We regret that no resolution has yet been found on any issues of substance, while so-called 'scientific' whaling continues unabated."

But the WWF said one success of the meeting was the prioritisation of climate change as a significant threat to whales.

The IWC will hold a special workshop on climate change next year and several governments have made financial contributions to ensure this initiative is a success.

Next year's meeting will be held at Madeira, Portugal, from May 28th to June 26th.

"We call upon whaling countries to show flexibility, and on all governments to agree to move the IWC into a meaningful future for whale conservation," Dr Lieberman said.

"We also call upon governments to fully engage non-governmental organisations in all their deliberations in the coming year.

"The IWC is at a crossroads – the world is watching, and both the future of the IWC and the world's whales are in the balance."