Resolutions of the 51st Meeting of the International Whaling Commission

IWC Resolution 1999-6

Resolution on Cooperation Between the IWC and CITES

WHEREAS it is the purpose of the International Whaling Commission to provide for the effective conservation and management of whale stocks;

WHEREAS the IWC is the universally recognised competent international organisation for the management of whale stocks;

ACKNOWLEDGING with satisfaction that all species of whales in the Schedule to the IWC have been listed in Appendix I of CITES (with the exception of the West Greenland stock of minke whales, which is listed in Appendix II by CITES) pursuant to and in recognition of the establishment of zero catch limits for commercial whaling agreed by the Contracting Governments to the IWC, and other decisions of the IWC relating to the status of great whale species;

WHEREAS by virtue of the inclusion of these species in CITES Appendix I and Resolution Conf. 2.9, CITES requires that Parties not issue any import or export permits for commercial trade in any whale stocks for which the IWC has set zero catch limits;

WELCOMING the recent decision by the 10th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to CITES to uphold CITES Resolution Conf. 2.9;

WELCOMING as well the recent decisions of the 10th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to CITES (Decisions 10.40 - 10.43) that recognised the need for international co-operation in monitoring and controlling the illegal trade in whale meat;

RECOGNISING that the IWC has made progress toward completing the Revised Management Scheme, specifically by the endorsement of the Revised Management Procedure, by the revision of the requirements and guidelines for conducting surveys and analysing data within the Revised Management Scheme, and by the clarification of arrangements to ensure that total catches over time are within the limits that would be set under the Revised Management Scheme;

NOW THEREFORE THE COMMISSION: RECOGNISES that the IWC management regime prior to the establishment of zero catch limits for commercial whaling led to the global demise of the whale stocks;

FURTHER RECOGNISES that the IWC has not completed the necessary measures to ensure that commercial whaling catch limits are not exceeded, that whale stocks can be adequately protected, and that all whaling by IWC member countries is brought under effective IWC monitoring and control;

RECOGNISES the important role of CITES in supporting the conservation of whale stocks and the IWC’s management decisions, and reaffirming the importance of continued co-operation between CITES and IWC;
RECOGNISES as well the important role of CITES in detecting illegal trade in whale meat through inclusion of whale species in CITES Appendix I;

EXPRESSES its appreciation to the Conference of the Parties to CITES for its continuing reaffirmation of the relationship between CITES and the IWC;

DIRECTS the Secretariat, when the IWC is requested to provide comments on any proposal submitted by a CITES Party to transfer any whale species or stock from Appendix I to II, to advise the CITES Conference of the Parties that the IWC has not yet completed a revised management regime which ensures that future commercial whaling catch limits are not exceeded and whale stocks can be adequately protected;

FURTHER DIRECTS the Secretariat to advise the CITES Conference of the Parties that zero catch limits are still in force for species of whales which are managed by the International Whaling Commission.

INSTRUCTS the Secretariat to send a copy of this resolution to the CITES Secretariat.