Make-or-Break Moment: Whaling Ban and Climate Change

make-or-break moment: Japan's attempt to overturn commercial whaling ban fails Read more Conservation groups praised Australia's delegation for helping to safeguard the global whaling ban at what was seen as a make-or-break moment for whales, according to The Guardian. As threats to whales from discarded fishing nets, ship strikes, climate change and fisheries by-catch had increased, adding commercial hunting was seen as a step too far for many countries. Japan's so-called way forward proposal for the IWC to start a sustainable whaling program lost by 41 votes to 27 on a tense final morning of the IWC meeting in Florian polis, Brazil. Japan's vice minister for fisheries, Masaaki Taniai, said after the country would now conduct a fundamental reassessment of its membership of the IWC . Facebook Twitter Pinterest Members of the Japanese delegation at the meeting of the International Whaling Commission in Brazil. Ultimately we had to ensure it did not proceed. Photograph Roberto Scola/EPA Speaking to Guardian Australia moments after the meeting closed, Australia's IWC commissioner Nick Gales said The fact that Japan's proposal was set up to fail, then begs the question, was this really to construct a narrative to go back to their government to promote a position to depart from the IWC but that's speculation. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.