Playing with loaded dice
DEFRA has got hot under the collar over the issue of whaling, not that there has been much whaling by those from these islands in quite some time. Fair enough, perhaps, we are a maritime nation and maybe there are some potential Ahabs, Ishmaels etc in these parts. There are certainly plenty of Starbucks....
The government's solution to the 'problem' of the International Whaling Commission losing its in-built majority of anti-votes is to encourage land-locked countries to join the IWC, because:
"Whales are a common heritage and as such the responsibility for their conservation and protection rests with all countries, whether or not they have coastal waters. Whaling is inherently cruel and economically unnecessary and we would urge all countries to join the IWC, protect the IWC's moratorium and take up the global responsibility to protect whales for future generations".
Current non-maritime nations in the IWC include the economic powerhouses that are Mali, Mongolia, Luxembourg and San Marino. And the Czechs, Slovaks, Austrians and the Swiss. Given the suggestion that the Japanese have 'persuaded' Caribbean states to vote for whaling via much economic largesse, and there being many, many low GDP states that might be amenable to a few yen, the one nation, one vote system may yet backfire. Our commissioner is one Mr R Cowan, by the way.
The government's solution to the 'problem' of the International Whaling Commission losing its in-built majority of anti-votes is to encourage land-locked countries to join the IWC, because:
"Whales are a common heritage and as such the responsibility for their conservation and protection rests with all countries, whether or not they have coastal waters. Whaling is inherently cruel and economically unnecessary and we would urge all countries to join the IWC, protect the IWC's moratorium and take up the global responsibility to protect whales for future generations".
Current non-maritime nations in the IWC include the economic powerhouses that are Mali, Mongolia, Luxembourg and San Marino. And the Czechs, Slovaks, Austrians and the Swiss. Given the suggestion that the Japanese have 'persuaded' Caribbean states to vote for whaling via much economic largesse, and there being many, many low GDP states that might be amenable to a few yen, the one nation, one vote system may yet backfire. Our commissioner is one Mr R Cowan, by the way.
This entry was posted
on Wednesday, January 31, 2007 at 3:47 pm.
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Interesting C-I must say I`m rather in favour of preserving large interesting animals .
The problem is that people who tell you how we evil types are destroying the "habitat", are always sitting in it having the time of their lives.
Thye do make a haunting noise though , Deputy Priminister calling to Deputy Priminister across the abyss
...we are a maritime nation and maybe there are some potential Ahabs, Ishmaels etc in these parts. There are certainly plenty of Starbucks....
Yes, hnarr, hnarr, very witty. Well done.
I've got nothing against them either, although a blast of whale breath will leave you gasping.
However, if the Japanese, Faroese etc etc know that they will harpooned by an IWC packed with the likes of the Czechs and San Marinese, they are likely to opt out completely, and how will international 'will' then be enforced? By the US Second and Third Fleets?
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