Agadir – 21 June, 2010

WWF, Greenpeace and the Pew Environment Group believe that the IWC's commercial whaling moratorium must be maintained, and we fully support it.

We believe that in addition to maintaining the moratorium on commercial whaling, the six fundamental elements we have outlined must also be included in any agreement that emerges from the IWCs meeting in Agadir. The six fundamental elements can be found on the websites of our respective organizations.

It is vital that the integrity of the moratorium be secured, and this week’s agreement with the six fundamental elements we are advocating would be a major step in this direction. Without the continuation of the moratorium there is no way a three quarters majority could be attained for an agreement in the IWC, and therefore the maintenance of the moratorium is unquestionable. While the moratorium remains in the schedule, the proposed package would create temporary exceptions to be determined for some species in some areas, and only for those governments that currently undertake commercial whaling.

Currently 1,500 whales are killed every year in direct contravention of the moratorium. , with quotas set unilaterally, and no international control or oversight of whaling operations. If a package was adopted with all our six elements, the moratorium would become effective for the first time ever in the Southern Ocean – the summer feeding grounds of approximately 80% of the worlds whales, and an area that has already been declared a commercial whaling free zone by the establishment of the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary in 1994. This would be unprecedented step - for the first time since World War II no whaling ship would be operating in the Southern Seas. The proposed restriction to domestic consumption only (thus eliminating international trade) will reduce whaling and reduce incentives to kill whale even in areas where temporary exceptions to the moratorium may be made.

Click here to go to the picture gallery of the opening session