Australia pledges big funds for small whale conservation

WWF 24 Jun 09;

Madeira, Portugal – Australia’s top environmental official on Wednesday pledged AU$500,000 (€284,927) to help save the world’s small whales as part of a major contribution to the International Whaling Commission.

Peter Garrett, Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts committed to using the funds to protect small whales, dolphins and porpoises during an appearance at the 61st meeting of IWC member countries, taking place this week in Madeira, Portugal. The money will be dedicated to the IWC’s Small Cetacean Fund.

Garrett’s announcement coincided with the release by WWF of a new report entitled Small Cetaceans: The Forgotten Whales, which was unveiled simultaneously with the Australian funding commitment.

Small whales are disappearing from the world’s oceans and waterways as they fall victim to fishing gear, pollution, and habitat loss – compounded by a lack of conservation measures such as those developed for great whales, according to the report.

The report states that while great whales are now protected (to an extent) by the international commercial whaling moratorium, in effect since 1986, small cetacean hunts continue around the globe, largely unmanaged and unchecked by the international community.

“For many small cetaceans the scientific information available is so limited that we are unable to make informed decisions on their conservation status,” Garrett said.

The contribution is part of a larger AU$1.5 million (€854,900) commitment to support IWC activities in three key areas: the Southern Ocean Research Partnership; conservation management plans; and small cetacean conservation research.

“It’s time that someone stood up for the underrepresented whales, dolphins and porpoises,” said Dr. Susan Lieberman, Director of the Species Programme for WWF-International. “Australia’s commitment is a step in the right direction and we call upon other governments to follow suit.”

Meanwhile, the IWC Commissioner of Belgium, Alexandre de Lichtervelde, called for a review of work on conservation and management for small cetaceans to take place before IWC 62 in 2010. Belgium will produce a collaborative paper as a contribution to the discussions on the future of the IWC.

IWC 61 runs June 22 to 26 in Madeira, Portugal.