Source: High North News, No.11, Nov. 1996, published by the High North Alliance

CITES: Norwegian Proposal to Downlist Minke Whale Stocks

Norway will propose to downlist the minke whale stocks in the North East Atlantic and in the Central North Atlantic at next year’s meeting between the member states of CITES (The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora), which will take place in Zimbabwe. “If the member states act in accordance with the criteria they have established, this proposal should be approved”, said director Olav Nord-Varhaug of the Norwegian Directorate of Nature Management to the Norwegian newspaper “Adresseavisen” on October 2, 1996.

Norway made a similar proposal at the last CITES-meeting in Fort Lauderdale, USA, but this was rejected. In the meantime newer and clearer criteria for the listing have been made and uncertainty about the abundance estimate in the North East Atlantic has been removed. “In our view, there is no doubt that the minke whale completely satisfies the requirements for being listed on appendix II”, says Nord-Varhaug. In May 1996, the Scientific Committee of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) reached consensus on an estimate of 112,000 minke whales in the North-East Atlantic, and in 1990 it agreed on a Central North Atlantic stock estimate of 28,000 minke whales. If the quota calculation model endorsed by the IWC in a 1994 resolution is employed, catch quotas for these stocks would be allocated. The quota calculation model was developed by the IWC Scientific Committee with the assurance of sustainability as top priority.

The objective of CITES is the protection of wild fauna and flora against over-exploitation through international trade. All species threatened with extinction which are or may be affected by trade are listed in Appendix I. Trade in these species is banned. Species which although not currently threatened with extinction are likely to become so unless trade is subject to strict regulations, are listed in Appendix II.

All minke whale stocks, except the West Greenland stock, were listed in Appendix I in 1983. The West Greenland stock is listed in Appendix II, despite the fact that less research has been done on, and thus less is known about, this stock than the two stocks Norway wishes to downlist.

Both Japan and Norway lodged a reservation against the listing of minke whales in Appendix I and are therefore not bound by this decission. This means that any trade with minke whale products between Japan and Norway would be in conformity with international law. Norway, however, has imposed a voluntary ban on the export of minke whale products.

Click hereto read the Norwegian downlisting proposal.

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