Whaling a thorny issue at talks

Whaling a thorny issue at talks

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Nusa Dua, Bali

Government delegations managed to wrap up negotiations on most
ocean affairs at a UN meeting in Bali on Thursday, but left the
issue of whale conservation still undecided.

Ocean affairs was among the delicate issues discussed
separately during the last preparatory committee meeting for the
World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg.

Among the contentious issues are the curbing of illegal
fishing, allocation of fishing areas in high seas, coastal
management and whale conservation, according to Ferry Adamhar,
spokesman for the Group of 77 developing countries on the ocean
affairs.

"Indonesia and many other developing countries suffered
directly from the illegal fishing subsidized by certain developed
countries, but it seems that we have agreed to use stronger terms
of 'terminating illegal fishing' in the Chairman's Text," he
claimed.

The Chairman's Text is a set of action plans to implement
governments' commitment on sustainable development. The
Chairman's Text, currently being negotiated in Bali, will be
endorsed by world leaders in the summit.

The agreement at the contact group on ocean affairs, when it
is adopted for the Chairman's Text, will serve as a stronger
commitment from the international community to stop illegal
fishing.

The move will also benefit maritime countries like Indonesia
that do not have the ability to secure its ocean from illegal
fishing, which has reportedly caused millions of dollars of
losses to the country.

Countries like South Korea have wanted the term to be changed
to "elimination of illegal fishing" as the country has a lot of
fishermen but relatively few fishing areas.

"They want to keep the article just like the one in the Agenda
21. That article demands a gradual elimination of illegal
fishing, but the rest of the world says that we have to move
forward in keeping the sustainability of the ocean," Ferry said.

Another important issue that has been agreed upon at the ocean
contact group is the distribution of fishing areas at the
international waters.

Indonesia suggested that fishing areas in international waters
be shared only among countries in the same region to avoid over-
exploitation of the marine resources.

Based on the agreement at the ocean contact group, the
Chairman's Text will also mention the obligation of developed
countries to assist developing countries in terms of coastal
integrated management.

"Support for coastal integrated management also includes aid
for small-scale fishermen in developing countries," Ferry said.

Delegations at the contact group also agreed on taking
stronger measures against any party responsible for sea
pollution, including ships carrying radioactive material passing
through the sea lanes of maritime countries.

"The only issues still under discussion are on whale
conservation, as countries like Japan and Iceland are demanding
regulations on sustainable whaling as opposed to outright
elimination," Ferry explained.

Japan and Iceland regularly use whale products so an
elimination would adversely affect their economies.

Although Japanese consumption of whale has been decreasing
recently, because the younger generation does not eat whale
anymore, the industry continues to exist.

"The G-77 fully understands those countries' dependence on
whale. We would likely support the sustainable use of the whale
resource," Ferry added.

However, it will be further discussed by each regional group,
such as the G-77, before the stance will be presented to the
working group's discussion.