Say no to whale hunting, NGOs urge Antigua & Barbuda’s PM

Conservationists are urging Antigua & Barbuda not to support the resumption of whale hunting at an upcoming global summit.

An alliance of local environmental NGOs has written to Prime Minister Gaston Browne calling on him to ensure the twin island nation’s stance at this year’s International Whaling Commission (IWC) reflects its image as a champion of climate action.

Antigua & Barbuda has long backed its ally Japan – which wants to lift a four-decade ban on commercial whaling – at the biennial IWC. At the 2022 and 2024 meetings, the twin isles went a step beyond merely voting in favour of whaling by submitting resolutions to reopen formal debate on the topic, drawing condemnation from environmental groups.

The NGOs’ letter was sent to PM Browne this week, days before this year’s deadline for resolutions to be submitted. IWC70 is taking place in Hobart, Australia, from September 27 to October 2.

The letter commends the government’s commitment to boosting climate resilience on the global stage, including at last month’s Island States Ocean Summit in Tokyo.

But it goes on to say: “At the same time, we are concerned that the development assistance that results from high-level engagement with Japan is accompanied by an expectation that Antigua & Barbuda support the resumption of commercial whaling and oppose whale conservation measures at the IWC.”

It quotes Antigua’s previous IWC Commissioner, Daven Joseph, as noting that the country had received more than US$200m in fisheries infrastructure and aid from its East Asian ally over the last 20 years.

A survey carried out by the Antigua & Barbuda Ocean Trust indicates that two-thirds of local residents are opposed to commercial whaling – with a similar figure saying they believe the country’s support for whaling damages its international reputation.

“As a nation that has consistently championed sustainable development and biodiversity conservation and is directly impacted by climate change, Antigua & Barbuda should ensure that the positions it takes in international environmental agreements are independent of outside influence and reflect the needs and wishes of the people of Antigua,” the letter continues.

“Healthy cetacean populations contribute to resilient marine ecosystems, support our growing nature-based tourism sector, and reflect our international commitments to marine biodiversity.”

It concludes by urging PM Browne’s government to engage openly with local groups to ensure the country’s positions “reflect the interests of its people” and protect its standing on the international stage, particularly as it prepares to host the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in November.

In 2022, almost two dozen wildlife protection groups from across the world signed a letter to PM Browne decrying the country’s efforts to lift the whaling moratorium. The motion was subsequently withdrawn after it became clear it lacked enough support to pass. It was resubmitted in 2024 – again sparking anger among opponents – before being withdrawn once again.

The moratorium on commercial whaling came into effect in 1986 to combat cetaceans’ plummeting numbers.

Hunting advocates say research indicates that numbers of humpback and minke whales have risen enough for some commercial whaling to resume.

However, many fear if the ban were lifted it would spell disaster for the mammals already battling the impacts of climate change, bycatch deaths from fishing, ship strikes, and ocean pollution.

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