Whalers meet to discuss profession

Even whalers have their fun. Representatives from countries that still support whaling met in Reykjavik, Iceland two weeks ago for the Second General Assembly of the World Council of Whalers.

Participants from 21 countries met March 27-30 to discuss whaling and whale utilization in Canada, four Caribbean nations, the Faroe Islands, Greenland, Iceland, Indonesia, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, the Philippines, Russia and Tonga. Among those in attendance were representatives of whaling communities, legal experts, government officials, parliamentarians and scientists.

According to Chief Tom Mexsis Happynook, Chairman of the World Council of Whalers, the meeting was an important step in continuing to educate the public about how, for some peoples, whaling is an essential part of life.

"With the world's whale populations steadily increasing, the world's endangered whaling cultures will survive," he said after the meeting. "Foremost among the world's issues for the coming millennium is the ability to feed a growing human population while maintaining bio-diversity on Planet Earth. We must feed our people and preserve our cultures within the framework of sustainable use of nature's resources. Whaling is an important part of both."

The meeting itself was fairly long and, as some participants described it, drawn out. First, the assembly was welcomed by Iceland's Foreign Minister, Hon. Halldor Asgrimsson, followed by a vide-taped message from US Congressman Richard Pombo (R-CA). Both men stressed the importance of applying sustainable management techniques to marine resources, preserving cultural identities and bringing the true story of whales and whalers to the public.

Next, the Fisheries Minister of the Faroe Islands, Hon. Jorgen Niclasen, and Mr. Arnor Halldorsson, Chairman of the North Atlantic Marine Mammal Commission, spoke about the importance of rational whale management for the protection of marine bio-diversity. They also discussed the future of the fishing industry.

Since the first meeting in 1997, this event has never occurred without controversy. This year, Niclasen's speech provided the stir. Some participants remarked that it was strange to hear Niclasen talking about bio-diversity and whale management because Niclasen himself is a self-proclaimed whaler. Niclasen declined comment about his motivations for speaking.

Following reports from the world's whaling communities, expert panels discussed regional management of marine resources, trade, and communications issues.

The group then decided to pass some resolutions. These included resolutions that addressed the desperate plight of the Chukotkan whaling communities in Russia, diet-related health problems in Tonga, the Eastern Canadian Arctic Bowhead hunt, Iceland's March 1999 parliamentary resolution to resume whaling, and trade problems related to the U.S. Marine Mammal Protection Act, first ratified in 1972.

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