Vol. 514 No. 4
171 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage Gaeltacht and the Islands if the Government will work to ensure that the existing ban on international trade in whale products, to be reviewed at the April 2000 meeting of CITES in Nairobi, will not be compromised by its own proposals to the International Whaling Commission to allow the resumption of coastal whaling; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4448/00]
172 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage Gaeltacht and the Islands her views on whether the cumulative impact of environmental threats from climate change, toxic pollution, atmospheric ozone depletion, commercial over-fishing, net entanglements, noise pollution, ship strikes and critical habitat loss pose a serious and increasing threat to the recovery and survival of the whale population; and her further views on whether any relaxation of the global moratorium on commercial whale hunting should not be considered until a comprehensive scientific research programme has been conducted into these threats. [4449/00]
173 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage Gaeltacht and the Islands her views on whether recent scientific evidence revealing the dangerous levels of toxic contaminants in whale meat is cause for concern and that human consumption of these products should be discouraged; and if the Government will withdraw its proposals to relax the ban on commercial whaling until the threat to whales and consumers of whales has been adequately researched and addressed. [4450/00]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 171, 172 and 173 together.
Ireland is a member of the International Whaling Commission – IWC – which has primary responsibility for the management and conservation of whale stocks. In recent years, the IWC has devoted considerable resources to the consideration of all threats to the conservation of whales. In addition to the more historical threat posed by hunting and over-exploitation of whale stocks, threats posed by pollution, climate change, habitat loss, ship strikes etc. have all received critical attention by the IWC and have been subject to considerable discussion and investigation by the scientific committee. I am pleased to note that at the 51st meeting of the IWC held in May 1999 two specific resolutions on related topics were adopted by the commission with the support of the delegation from Ireland. IWC resolution 1999-5 on the funding of high priority scientific research made available additional funds from the commission's reserves for research on environmental threats to cetaceans while IWC resolution 1999-4 on health effects from the consumption of cetaceans called on relevant countries to take measures to reduce pollution that may cause negative health effects from the consumption of cetacean products. It is a matter for each Member of Government to evaluate the threat to human health and take appropriate measures. As you are aware, whalemeat is not for sale in Ireland. This resolution also provided for a continuous review by the commission of this issue. The scientific committee has also been requested to ensure that pollution effects on endangered whale species are taken into account in calculating quotas under the revised management scheme – RMS.
Also at the 51st meeting of the IWC, Resolution No: 1999-6 was adopted, with strong support from Ireland. This resolution called upon CITES (convention on international trade in endangered species) to reaffirm at its forthcoming meeting in April 2000 the continued co-operation between CITES and the IWC. It also advised the conference that zero catch limits are still in force for species of whales which are managed by the international whaling commission. While the IWC has competence in relation to conservation and management of whale stocks, CITES has competence in relation to the trade in endangered species including whales and whale products. Ireland strongly supports the continuation of the existing ban on international trade in whales currently in place for whale stocks by the IWC. We have already put this view forward strongly both in IWC and at EU meetings and will continue to do so.
