§ Mr. Jim CunninghamTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will make a statement about the International Whaling Commission's study on whale watching.
§ Mr. JackThe United Kingdom introduced a resolution on whale watching to the 1993 annual meeting of the International Whaling Commission which was adopted by consensus. This called on IWC members to submit reports on the extent and economic significance of whale-watching operations in their respective countries. Many countries, including the United Kingdom, have submitted reports and these have summarised by the IWC secretariat in a document which is being discussed by the IWC at its current meeting in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. At this meeting, the United Kingdom delegation is seeking to ensure that the IWC plays a leading role in the development of this growing new industry, which represents an important new way of utilising whale resources.
§ Mr. Jim CunninghamTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) whether she intends to put pressure on the Norwegian Government at the International Whaling Commission in Puerto Vallarta between 23 and 27 May;
(2) what further action she plans if Norway continues to ignore the International Whaling Commission moratorium on whaling.
§ Mr. JackNorway is well aware of the United Kingdom Government's strong opposition to its decision to resume commercial whaling. This has been made clear to the Norwegian Government on numerous occasions and at the highest levels. Although Norway is not legally bound by the IWC moratorium on commercial whaling as, under IWC rules, it lodged an objection to the original decision taken in 1982, I can assure the hon. Gentleman that we shall continue to urge Norway, at the IWC meeting and beyond, to respect fully the terms of the moratorium.
§ Mr. Jim CunninghamTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what figures she has for the current levels of International Whaling Commission protected stock;
(2) if she will review the levels of internationally protected stock, particularly the minke whale; and if she will make a statement.
§ Mr. JackWhale stocks are currently classified by the IWC under the terms of its obsolete new management procedure—NMP. The revised management scheme—70W RMS—on which the IWC is now working and which incorporates a revised management procedure—RMPwould, if adopted, replace the NMP and would no longer require the formal classification of whale stocks. If the RMP were implemented, zero catch limits would apply to stocks estimated at below 54 per cent. of their pre-exploitation levels. This would be likely to cover the great majority of species of "great" whale.
The IWC currently estimates the stock of minke whales in the Antarctic to number some 750,000 animals. In the north-east Atlantic the most recent estimate available for minke whales, produced by Norway, is of around 87,000 animals; that estimate is currently under review by the IWCL's scientific committee. The position on minke whales in the north Pacific is less clear, as uncertainty exists over stock identities.
§ Mr. Jim CunninghamTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when the long-term research project at the sea mammal research unit on the effect of environmental change on whales will be complete.
§ Mr. JackThe project being funded by my Department at the sea mammal research unit to assess the effects of environmental change on whale populations began in April 1993 for an initial period of three years. The project is therefore due for review in April 1996.