UK: APPEAL FOR BAN ON COMMERCIAL WHALING BY PRESIDENT RONALD REAGAN REJECTED BY THE INTERNATIONAL WHALING COMMISSION.

Record ID: 706420

  • Title: UK: APPEAL FOR BAN ON COMMERCIAL WHALING BY PRESIDENT RONALD REAGAN REJECTED BY THE INTERNATIONAL WHALING COMMISSION.
  • Date: 21st July 1981
  • Summary: GV Demonstrators chanting, with inflated plastic whale as symbol. (2 SHOTS) 0.07 CU ZOOM OUT Placard attacking Japan. 0.14 SV Banners and placards. (3 SHOTS) 0.24 SV ZOOM OUT Demonstrators chanting. 0.30 GV Metropole Hotel, Brighton, scene of conference. 0.34 CU ZOOM OUT INTERIOR Japanese delegate seated. 0.39 CU ZOOM OUT Soviet delegate. 0.43 CU ZOOM OUT Danish delegate. 0.50 SV Icelandic delegate. 0.53 SV ZOOM OUT Chinese delegate. 0.56 GV PAN Delegates in room. 1.04 SCU Opening statement by British Minister Jerry Wiggin, speaking over pictures of whaling. 1.51 SPEECH ON CASSETTE (TRANSCRIPT) WIGGIN: "I emphasise, that what we are proposing is a moratorium. We recognise that other countries have a legitimate, commercial interest in whaling, and, if in the future, it could be shown beyond reasonable doubt, that some exploitation of stocks might safely be resumed, and that satisfactory methods of killing were available, the lifting of the ban might be considered. If the Commission is once again unwilling to agree to a ban on all commercial whaling. We consider it should at least adopt measures to protect those species and areas which are subject to the greatest risks." InitialsJS Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 5th August 1981 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: United Kingdom
  • Country: United Kingdom
  • Topics: Environment,General
  • Reuters ID: LVACT6D6OJFVNZGZPOG2QEQMK165
  • Story Text: BRIGHTON, ENGLAND

    INTRODUCTION: An appeal by President Ronald Reagan for a ban on commercial whaling has been rejected by the annual meeting of the International Whaling Commission. The Commission, meeting in Brighton, voted by 16 votes to eight, with three abstentions, against supporting the ban. It needed the support of three-quarters of the delegates to succeed. Several countries, including Britain, the United States and Australia had called for an end to all whaling. On the day the conference opened, on Monday (20 July), anti-whaling protesters from all around the world gathered in the town.

    SYNOPSIS: Hundreds of demonstrators marched through Brighton as the Commission began its meeting. The protesters say whales are being hunted to extinction by greedy commercial interests. They also claim hunting methods are cruel. Japan is the biggest whaling nation and main opponent of the anti-whaling lobby. But it denies it is endangering the whale, saying there is no scientific evidence for arguing whales are near extinction.

    Inside the conference chamber, anti-whaling nations led by Britain and the United States, proposed a ban on commercial whaling. Last year this proposal was defeated. This year several new countries have joined the IWC, and it was hoped President Reagan's appeal might swing the vote.

    Although whaling states are now outnumbered by non-whaling countries they still gained enough support to defeat the ban. Before the vote, a plea for conservation was heard from British Minister Jerry Wiggin:

    <strong>Source: REG SMITH</strong>
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