HC Deb 10 June 2002 vol 386 cc887-8W
Mr. Gibb

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on Article VIII of the International Convention in the Regulation of Whaling. [57498]

Mr. Morley

The UK recognises that Article VIII of the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling provides for any contracting Government to grant any of its nationals a special permit authorising that national to kill, take or treat whales for purposes of scientific research.

We regret, however, Japan's continued use of this provision to carry out large scale, lethal "scientific" whaling. The UK believes that Japan's activities serve to undermine the International Whaling Commission's (IWC) moratorium and, at this year's IWC meeting which took place in Shimonoseki between 20–24 May, we called upon them to discontinue their lethal research programme.

Mr. Gibb

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent activities have been undertaken by her Department to improve scientific knowledge about whale numbers. [57501]

Mr. Morley

The UK delegation participates fully in the IWC's Scientific Committee including work to provide in-depth assessments of whale stocks.

Malcolm Bruce

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what preparations her Department made for the International Whaling Commission annual meeting in Japan; [58577]

(2) what action her Department took before the annual meeting of the International Whaling Commission to build support for the continuation of the ban on commercial whaling. [58578]

Mr. Morley

The UK Government is opposed to all whaling except by some subsistence whaling by indigenous people. We strongly support the current moratorium on commercial whaling.

Before the start of the 54th annual IWC meeting we held a meeting of the Consultative Forum on Whaling with non-government organisations to discuss the UK line to take and strategy on key issues. In conjunction with the FCO we also undertook extensive lobbying of all IWC member states to build support for the continuation of the moratorium.