"While the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling refers to the
conservation of whale stocks in order to make possible the orderly development of
the whaling industry, it is clear that the whaling industry we all knew in the 1940s
has disappeared. While there remain a handful of countries committed to revive
commercial whaling., it is our belief that they seek the return of an age that is
past. We ask that those countries initiate an active review, at the highest political
level, of their approach.
New Zealand will continue to seek the greatest possible protection for cetaceans.
We will work to maintain the moratorium on commercial whaling because it
reflects the current reality of world opinion. We will participate fully in the
dialogue about the Revised Management Scheme because it is essential to have the
best possible rules for whaling, whether or not they are required in practise."