Hon Sandra Lee on the Outcome of the SPREP Meeting
21 April 2001
21 April 2001
(New Zealand time)
For Immediate Release
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Media Statement |
Apia meeting major boost for South Pacific Whale Sanctuary |
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New Zealand’s Minister of Conservation Sandra Lee
said the intention of New Zealand and Australia to submit the South Pacific
Whale Sanctuary proposal to the International Whaling Commission meeting in
London in July met with the unanimous support in principle from Pacific Island
nations and territories represented at a just-concluded regional forum in Apia,
Samoa.
Ms Lee said the Pacific Island Forum meeting was
held at the direction of Pacific Island leaders to progress the South Pacific
Whale Sanctuary proposal which would cover most of the Pacific Ocean south of
the equator. It would adjoin the existing Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary to the
south.
Countries and territories represented at the Apia
meeting were Samoa, Australia, American Samoa, Cook Islands, French Polynesia,
Fiji, Kiribati, Niue, New Zealand, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, Tonga,
Tuvalu, Tokelau and Wallis and Futuna.
The Pacific Island nations noted the critical
significance of the South Pacific as breeding grounds for nine species of great
whale and the serious depletion of whale populations in the region from
commercial whaling last century.
Ms Lee said it was also noted that the gathering of
whales on their South Pacific breeding grounds was one of the truly great
wildlife spectacles of the world.
“Whale-watching is a rapidly growing industry in
the region enabling countries like the Kingdom of Tonga to develop sustainable
economic opportunities for their people from carefully managed viewing
opportunities for tourists of the breeding congregations of whales.”
Ms Lee said New Zealand and Australia, who are both
members of the International Whaling Commission, would be heading to the London
meeting in July to resubmit the South Pacific Whale Sanctuary proposal.
The proposal was first submitted to the IWC at its
meeting in Adelaide last year. It requires a three quarters majority vote of IWC
member nations to be adopted.
“It should be clear now that there is widespread
support amongst the island nations of the South Pacific for a whale
sanctuary," Ms Lee said. "These magnificent animals have roamed our
seas for millions of years and we wish them to be a living part of the
inheritance we protect and pass on to the children of our region."
Ms Lee said the Apia meeting also agreed to extend
cooperation amongst countries in the region to assist each other in developing
national measures for the conservation of whales.
“Some countries expressed an intention to develop
comprehensive legal measures within their Exclusive Economic Zones for the
protection of whales to complement an IWC approved sanctuary.
“The world should take note that conservation of
marine life is one of the top priorities for the Pacific Island Forum,” she
said.
‘We now look to the support of other countries in
the world to bring the dream of a South Pacific Whale Sanctuary to reality. We
also ask those countries who maintain an interest in commercial whaling to
respect the cultural affiliation we have in the south Pacific to living whales
and our desire to see them flourish unharmed in our region”
Ms Lee acknowledged the strong support for the
whale sanctuary from environmental organisations including Greenpeace, the
Pacific Youth Environment Network, the World Conservation Union, the Royal
Forest and Bird Protection Society and the Humane Society International, and
from commercial whale-watch companies including New Zealand’s WhaleWatch
Kaikoura.
Media
contacts
In
Apia, Samoa:
Kevin Smith, Senior Conservation Adviser
Mobile (685) 73 598
Or
Aggie Grey's Hotel (685) 22 880
In
Wellington, New Zealand:
Fraser Folster, Press Secretary Mobile
(6425) 947 795
Formal
communique documents are attached:
South
Pacific Regional Environment Programme
Apia, Samoa
18- 20 April 2001
Apia
Statement:
Ministers
of Australia, Fiji, Kiribati, New Zealand, Niue, Papua New Guinea, Samoa,
Tokelau and together with
Ministerial Representatives from Cook Islands, Tuvalu and Tonga and Representatives of
American Samoa, New Caledonia, French Polynesia, and Wallis and Futuna, met in
Apia from 18-20 April, 2001 to progress a proposal to establish a South Pacific
Whale Sanctuary:
Expressing their
appreciation to the Director of SPREP and his staff for organising the Regional
Forum and SPREP Member Regional Workshop and to the Government and people of
Samoa for their generous hospitality;
Further expressing their appreciation to the Governments of New
Zealand, Australia and France for provision of financial resources to conduct
the Meetings;
Recalling
the decision of Pacific Islands Forum Leaders in 1998 to support the development
of a proposal to establish a South Pacific Sanctuary for great whales to
complement the existing Indian and Southern Ocean sanctuaries (noting Attachment
1);
Noting the
proposal put forward by the Governments of Australia, France, New Zealand,
United Kingdom and the United States of America at the Fifty Second Meeting of
the International Whaling Commission (Adelaide, 2000) to amend the Schedule of
the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling to establish a South
Pacific Whale Sanctuary (as given in Attachment 2) was discussed;
Recalling the
Ministerial Statement from the Eleventh SPREP Meeting (Guam, 2000) (noting
Attachment 1) which welcomed the efforts to establish a South Pacific Whale
Sanctuary through the International Whaling Commission and which agreed to
continue to support efforts to promote the adoption of a Sanctuary, whale
conservation and associated eco-tourism development;
Recalling also the
decision of Pacific Islands Forum Leaders in October 2000 to progress a proposal
to establish a South Pacific Whale Sanctuary (noting Attachment 1);
Noting
reports on the status of national legislative measures for whale conservation
and following a discussion of potential regional and international components of
such a proposal;
Noting also the
critical significance of the South Pacific as breeding grounds for nine species
of whales;
Noting also the
serious depletion of great whale stocks in the South Pacific region;
Noting also that
the gathering of whales on their South Pacific breeding grounds is one of the
great wildlife spectacles of the world;
Reaffirm their
commitment to progress a proposal for a South Pacific Whale Sanctuary;
Acknowledge and support in principle the intention of Australia and New
Zealand to resubmit the South Pacific Whale Sanctuary proposal to the IWC
meeting in London in July ahead of the Pacific Island Leaders Forum Meeting;
Acknowledge
also the continuing strong resolve
and support of the territories of the SPREP organisation to the proposal to
establish a South Pacific Whale Sanctuary as presented by the Governments of New
Zealand and Australia to the eleventh SPREP Meeting (Guam, October 2000) to go
forward to the IWC meeting in London in July 2001;
Note
that
an IWC South Pacific Whale
Sanctuary would be non-binding on Forum and SPREP non-IWC members and therefore
any national legislative measures to implement the South Pacific Whale Sanctuary
would be entirely the sovereign decision of each non-IWC state;
Acknowledge and support in principle the establishment of a national
sanctuary within Tonga’s EEZ and the intention of other South Pacific
countries and territories to consider similar national sanctuaries;
Note that,
should Pacific Island countries and territories wish to implement the provisions
of an IWC South Pacific whale sanctuary regionally, the existing SPREP-RMMCP
could usefully assist with this task;
A South
Pacific Whale Sanctuary – National perspectives and components.
Agree that
whales are an important part of the natural and cultural heritage of Pacific
island peoples;
Welcome
the growth of whale watching tourism in the region, with its associated economic
benefits;
Acknowledge the
concern of some SPREP members of the potential impact of great whales on
commercial fisheries resources, although scientific evidence of any significant
interactions between great whales and commercial fisheries in the SPREP region
is lacking, and acknowledge the undertaking by the SPREP Director to consult
with FFA and SPC, and to provide the best possible advice based on available
scientific data;
Welcome the
comprehensive conservation measures for great whales implemented in the Kingdom
of Tonga, American Samoa, Australia and New Zealand;
Note also
that this apparent lack of national measures for some SPREP Members provides no
impediment to their taking measures for whale conservation, including
establishment of national sanctuaries, where appropriate and desirable;
Further note that
many SPREP members have limited capacity and resources to effectively manage the
conservation of their marine mammal populations;
Welcome the
offer made by Australia and New Zealand to assist SPREP members on request in
the development of national legislation, particularly in regard to the
development of guidelines or regulations for whale watching operations;
Agree that
the provision of information to assist with whale conservation and marine
mammals in general is crucial to progressing whale conservation in the region;
A South
Pacific Whale Sanctuary – Regional component.
Agree that
SPREP’s Regional Marine Mammal Conservation Programme is currently assisting
whale conservation in the region and could usefully assist the effective
implementation of a South Pacific Whale Sanctuary;
Urge donors
to favourably consider providing financial resources to support SPREP’s RMMCP
in work connected with the proposed South Pacific Whale Sanctuary.
Call on SPREP
to consider including in its RMMCP the activities listed in Attachment 2;
A South
Pacific Whale Sanctuary – International IWC component.
Note the
scientific rationale and provisions for establishment of sanctuaries
listed in Article V(1) of the International Convention for the Regulation of
Whaling;
Note also
the boundaries, species coverage and ten year-review period in the proposal
(outlined in Attachment 1) for a South Pacific Whale Sanctuary under
consideration of the International Whaling Commission;
Consider that
the recovery of severely depleted great whale species in the proposed
Sanctuary area would be facilitated by the establishment of such a
Sanctuary;
Actions
for progressing the Proposal for a South Pacific Whale Sanctuary
Call on the
SPREP Secretariat to fully inform all
SPREP members on the proceedings and outcomes of this Meeting;
Also call on the
SPREP Secretariat, in liaison with the Forum Secretariat, to report the
proceedings and outcomes of this Meeting to the next meeting of Pacific Forum
Leaders;
Further call on the SPREP Secretariat to communicate the
proceedings and outcomes of this Meeting to the Alliance of Small Island States;
Request
SPREP Members of the IWC to advise the Commission on the proceedings and
outcomes of this Meeting.
Attachment 1
Twenty Ninth South Pacific Forum (August,
1998 Federated States of Micronesia) Forum Communiqué:
“42.
Leaders recalled their support in 1993 for the International Whaling
Commission’s moratorium on commercial whaling and the proposal to establish a
Southern Ocean Sanctuary. The Forum
continued to attach importance to the sustainable use of marine resources,
noting that a greater level of protection for whales was appropriate, and also
noting the internationally recognized need for sanctuaries, to assist with the
long-term conservation of great whales.
43. In
this context, the Forum gave its support to the development of a proposal to
establish a South Pacific Whale Sanctuary for great whales to complement the
existing Indian and Southern Ocean Sanctuaries, with particular attention to the
need to protect Forum members’ traditional and cultural practices and the
sustainable use of their marine resources. The Forum recognized that the issue
was an important one for some Dialogue Partners and that it would be necessary
to fully consult with them as part of this process.”
Eleventh SPREP Meeting – Environment Ministers
Forum (Guam, 2000) The Guam Environment Ministers Forum Statement:
“Welcome the
efforts to establish a South Pacific Whale Sanctuary through the International
Whaling Commission and agree
to continue to support efforts to promote the adoption of a Sanctuary, whale
conservation and associated eco-tourism development;”
Thirty-First Pacific Islands Forum (October, 2000 Kiribati) Forum Communiqué:
“43. Leaders noted the Guam Environment Minister’s Forum Statement
at Attachment 2. In noting this report and with reference to the issue of a
South Pacific Whale Sanctuary, the Forum noted the recommendation of the SPREP
Ministerial meeting calling for full support for the South Pacific Whale
Sanctuary proposal, which was to be presented at the annual meeting of the
International Whaling Commission in 2001. The
SPREP Ministers recognised that the proposal would not only protect the breeding
grounds of the great whale species in the Southern Hemisphere but would also
bring economic benefit to some members through the establishment of whale
watching enterprises in their territorial waters through which the great whales
passed in the course of their migrations.
44. Leaders recalled
their support in 1993 for the International Whaling Commission’s moratorium on
commercial whaling and a proposal to establish a Southern Ocean Sanctuary. They
also recalled their support in 1998 for the development of a proposal to
establish a South Pacific Whale Sanctuary for great whales to complement the
existing Indian and Southern Ocean Sanctuaries and looked forward to progressing
a proposal. In this regard, the Forum noted with gratitude New Zealand’s offer
to convene and provide financial support towards a Forum regional workshop to
progress a proposal to establish a South Pacific Whale Sanctuary.”
Attachment 2
The
South Pacific Sanctuary proposal to the IWC is described as (IWC52):
“In
accordance with Article V(1) of the Convention, commercial whaling, whether by
pelagic operations or from land stations, is prohibited in a region designated
as the South Pacific Sanctuary.
This
Sanctuary comprises the waters of the Southern Hemisphere enclosed within the
following line: starting from the southern coast of Australia at 130 degrees
East; thence due south to 40 degrees South; thence due east to 120 degrees West;
then north to the equator; thence west to 141 degrees East; then generally south
along the Papua New Guinea/Indonesian maritime boundary to the northern coast of
Papua New Guinea at 141 degrees East; thence generally east, south then west
along the coast of Papua New Guinea to the southern coast of Papua New Guinea at
141 degrees East , thence due south to the northern coast of Australia at 141
degrees East; thence generally east, south thence west along the coast of
Australia to the starting point.
This
prohibition applies irrespective of the conservation status of baleen or toothed
whale stocks in this Sanctuary as may from time to time be determined by the
Commission. However, this prohibition shall be reviewed ten years after its
initial adoption, and at succeeding ten year intervals and could be revised at
such time by the Commission.”
Attachment 3
Activities
to be considered for inclusion in SPREP’s RMMCP
·
Support
national measures for a SPWS by providing technical advice and helping to access
necessary resources and expertise;
·
Coordinate
the development of research programmes and maximising the opportunities for
Pacific island involvement
·
Ensure
an efficient flow of relevant information between SPREP members taking
advantages of opportunities to build awareness and understanding of the purpose
of work undertaken in a South Pacific Whale Sanctuary;
·
Provide
technical advice and feasibility assessments on request for SPREP members
interested in the development of whale watching, based on the successful
development of whale watching in the Kingdom of Tonga including guidelines for
the conduct of tourist operations and the behaviour of vessels around whales;
·
Maintain
and exchange of information, including monitoring information, with relevant
agencies, particularly the International Whaling Commission and the South
Pacific Tourism Organisation; and
·
Assistance
and advice, where requested, to provide technical assistance with the
development of legislation and technical protocols for the conservation of
whales.