David @ Tokyo

Readers may recall in the lead-up to last year's IWC meeting in South Korea that the Australia politicians dragged out their usual nonsense, attempting to lower expectations.

"Its the same every year", I noted:

Every year anti-whaling politicians proclaim that Japan may have "bought" enough votes to return to commercial whaling. The anti-whaling "environmental" organizations ask you to donate money to them. Then the meeting comes and Japanese proposals are voted down. The anti-whaling politicians then claim it is a magnificent victory to their domestic constituencies, and the Greenpeaces of the world have got your money. Thanks to your donations, they were able to save the day, they say.

And what do you know, 2006 is no different:

"I really do think there's a serious chance that Iceland, Norway and Japan will have the numbers to defeat our pro-conservation majority we achieved last year in Korea," Campbell told reporters.

4 months out from the meeting in the West Indies, Ian, so it's time to whip out the threats to all those small islands dependant on Australian aid.

But perhaps maybe this year Campbell's concerns will actually come to fruition - the anti-whaling bloc has already signed up most of the European Union to the IWC, including 7 nations which don't have a coastline (what would they know about marine resource management??). Where else can they turn for further anti-whaling support? Sofa conservationists are most plentiful in urbanized agriculture based (pre-dominantly anglo-saxon) countries. There can't be many left to turn to.

And one last note - when will Campbell drop the "pro-conservation" nonsense? Everyone is pro-conservation. The group that Campbell represents is the "pro-protection". Protection is not conservation. Protection is just plain intellectual laziness. Conservation and sustainable resource-use go together hand and hand.

Labels: Ian Campbell, Whaling