Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 1 May 2001

Vol. 535 No. 1

Written Answers - Commercial Whaling.

Trevor Sargent

Question:

472 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage Gaeltacht and the Islands if she will respond to the concern of the 140 named non-governmental organisations world-wide which oppose the proposals on coastal whaling which in the past were proposed by Ireland at the International Whaling Commission; and if she will consider instead a multi-disciplinary scientific study to evaluate over a period, the present and future fate of all whale species during which an indefinite moratorium on commercial whaling must stay in place. [11459/01]

Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands (Miss de Valera)

As I have pointed out in previous statements, I am concerned that the number of whales killed outside the control of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) has been increasing steadily right through the 1990s. Pressure is increasing in IWC to finalise a revised management scheme and to allow a resumption of whaling. Pressure is also being exerted at the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species – CITES – to allow international trade in whale species. In those circumstances I put forward proposals to: (1) limit whaling to coastal zones; (2) limit whaling to whaling for domestic use only; and (3) phase out scientific whaling.

These proposals will bring about a reduction in the number of whales being killed and unless these conditions are accepted I will not consider proposals to put an end to the moratorium on commercial whaling.

A scientific evaluation of whole population is already being undertaken by the scientific committee of IWC.