David @ Tokyo

Finally a western media source has noticed that Slovenia joined the IWC last month:

Slovenia, with a 46-kilometre Adriatic Sea coastline, has no history of whaling or whale-eating and is rarely visited by the mammals, but had protected them since 1993, said a government official, Andreja Kriz.

"Slovenia is actively involved in whale conservation," Ms Kriz said. "The only missing link was [a seat on the commission]."

The decision to join had been made because of Slovenia's more active involvement in the issue, she said.

Ms Kriz said Solvenia's membership of the EU obliged the country to protect wildlife, and imposed strict regulation on trade in whales and their products.

Slovenia is EU member, and thus obliged to protect wildlife, huh.
Really?

In Slovenia's hunting areas you can hunt brown bear, roe and red deer, wild boar, chamois, moufflon, fallow deer, small game (hare, pheasant, duck), and small predators (pine marten, fox, stone marten, badger).

Hmmm. So apparently hunting wildlife is actually OK, but whales (which don't visit Slovenia's 46km coastline in the first place) are to be protected? I wonder if Slovenia's officials really aren't able to spot the hypocrisy here.

Labels: IWC vote influence, Slovenia, Whaling