Three members of the Oman Whale and Dolphin Research Group (OWDRG) attended the meeting of the International Whaling Commission where they presented a number of scientific reports on the research that has been conducted over the past two years. The text below contains information about this year's IWC and Oman's involvement.
Oman and the IWC
The hunting of whales is one of the world's most debated environmental issues. From the 18th century, when commercial whaling began, until the late 1970s, the killing of hundreds of thousands of whales all over the world resulted in one species after another coming close to extinction. A global ban (moratorium) on whaling has since allowed some whale stocks to recover. However, the numbers of some species are still dangerously low and only constitute only a small fraction of their pre-whaling population size. Despite these historic lessons, some countries argue that whale stocks are now large enough to allow for commercial whaling to start again.
Whether or not whales should be hunted, and in what numbers, is a main topic for discussion by the International Whaling Commission (IWC). The IWC was initially established by whaling nations in 1946 to try and manage whale stocks, but control of hunting proved impossible in practise and the IWC therefore voted to ban all whaling in 1982. At the same time, other international treaties stopped any further trade in whale meat or other whale products. At this year's IWC meeting in the old whaling port of Shimonoseki, Japan, the ban on whaling faces its most serious challenge ever. In fact, the year 2002 may change the future for whales and dolphins in many ways, as international control and regulated management is compromised.
Oman is represented at the IWC by its commissioner (appointed by Royal Decree) from the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries. Oman recognises that a realistic approach to international issues is one that supports world order and the Government of Oman has always understood the importance of carefully considering scientific issues before coming to conclusions. Oman's international reputation on environmental issues, as well as the Sultanate's national policies and legislation, uphold this approach. Among the major IWC issues that could therefore be expected to gain support are the creation of sanctuaries and the development of the Revised Management Scheme (RMS) to control whaling.
The outcome of IWC voting in 2002 will influence the future for whales and dolphins all over the world, possibly leading to more whaling, and could change the way international regulation is decided upon within the context of the IWC. This also has implications for other international environmental, fisheries and related conventions. It is therefore more important than ever that Oman makes a positive contribution to the IWC in 2002.
Oman's participation in the IWC meeting
The first stage of this year's IWC meeting will be the meeting of the Scientific Committee, which will take place from April 27th-May 9th. The scientific committee will meet to discuss the results of research that has been conducted around the world in recent years. Representatives from many IWC member states and various non-governmental and research organisations will discuss the implications of this research for future management and conservation of whale and dolphin stocks. The committee will then make a series of recommendations for the next stage of the IWC meeting, which will take place from May 12th -18th.
During this second stage of the meeting, appointed delegates (commissioners) from all of the IWC member states will meet in sub-groups to discuss the reports and proposals that have been prepared for them. In the third and final stage of the meeting, from may 19th- 23rd, the commissioners will meet in a plenary session to formally vote on all of the issues put forward in the agenda.
This year, three researchers from the Oman Whale and Dolphin Research Group (OWDRG) will be attending the Scientific Committee meeting to present the results of research they have conducted over the past three years. The group have prepared seven scientific reports for the meeting, in cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, The Oman Natural History Museum and several world-renowned scientists from South Africa, Peru and the United States. These reports focus on aspects of distribution, genetics and mortality of humpback whales, humpback dolphins, and many other species of whale and dolphin in Oman. Some of these papers strongly support the theory that Oman's whales and dolphins are unique, and worthy of further study and protection. The OWDRG's participation in this meeting has been made possible by sponsorship from local and regional businesses, particularly Salalah Port Services and Han Padron Associates.
The second and third stages of the meeting will be attended by Oman's IWC commissioner, Hilal Saud Ambusaidi. He will face the difficult task of voting on some of the controversial issues described in more detail below.
The whaling debate
Some countries (such as Japan, Russia and Norway) have always objected to the ban on whaling and so continue to catch whales in spite of world opinion. Recently, such countries have begun to argue that whales are eating so many fish that the fisheries industry is suffering as a result. Killing whales is therefore argued to be of benefit to fishermen. Most countries prefer not to hunt whales and worry that populations may come close to extinction again if commercial whaling is allowed. Enforcement of quotas to regulate whaling on the high seas would be very difficult and hunting could expand in an uncontrollable way. These countries also argue that killing whales to increase the number of fish may have the opposite effect. Whales also eat the predators of commercial fish species and killing whales may therefore increase the number of predators resulting in fewer fish for fishermen. In reality, both arguments are probably over-simplistic. In many cases, the whales involved do not eat commercial fish species or their predators, but their prey may eat the larvae of both.
Marine ecosystems are very complex and even the most sophisticated computer models cannot predict the outcome on fisheries if whales are killed. It is interesting though that in the years before whaling ever began there were plenty of fish in the sea. In contrast, there are many examples of how over-fishing by people has led to fewer fish. There are also cases where killing (culling) marine mammals has resulted in negative impacts on fisheries, but there is no scientific evidence to show that there has ever been any benefit to commercial fisheries from culling of large marine predators. As a result, the United Nations, through its environment programme (UNEP), has strict protocols, based on many precautions, to evaluate proposals for culling of marine mammals.
Ultimately, it would seem that the only benefit of killing whales is the money earned by whalers. In contrast, live whales can also have a high economic value with wider benefits. For example, the tourism-based whale watching industry now generates well over one billion US dollars (US$ 1,000,000,000) every year and benefits almost all of the world's coastal nations.
The Indian Ocean Sanctuary
A specific issue that may be discussed in the IWC meeting in 2002 is the Indian Ocean Sanctuary, which includes all of Oman's waters. Only three other IWC member countries border the Indian Ocean. The opinions of Oman and these other range states are of particular significance to this issue.
The Indian Ocean Sanctuary was declared by the IWC in 1979 to protect whales and their habitat for an initial period of ten years. At that time only three member countries voted against the establishment of the Sanctuary (USSR, Japan and Korea). In 1989 the Indian Ocean Sanctuary was extended for three years and in 1992 a vote extended indefinitely, subject to a review in 2002. Although Japan now argues against all sanctuaries, it remained part of the consensus for the 1989 renewal and 1992 decision that the sanctuary should be adopted indefinitely.
The review of the Indian Ocean Sanctuary in 2002 could potentially lead to a vote for the abolishment of the Sanctuary. Japan was among whaling nations that formerly caught whales in the Indian Ocean and in the late 1970s intended to use factory ships and establish land-based whaling stations to support these activities. Today, most IWC members oppose whaling and support the continuation of the sanctuary. Other non-IWC members that are nevertheless Indian Ocean Sanctuary range states, also support the Sanctuary as demonstrated by the Nairobi Convention under the auspices of UNEP.
Research is revealing that the waters off Oman may host unique populations of whales (as well as dolphins) that inhabit a productive, but isolated region where migration to polar waters is not possible. The highly unusual humpback whales of Oman are an example. Only five years ago it was revealed that illegal whaling by Soviets in Omani waters in the 1960's may have led to critical depletion of the humpback whale population, as well as that of other species, such as pygmy blue whales, Bryde's and sperm whales. Recent research in Oman indicates that populations of these species still survive, but in most cases numbers appear to be low. It also shows that at least two species, the humpback whale, and the humpback dolphin, are genetically different from other populations of the same species in the Indian and Pacific Oceans.
Support of the Indian Ocean Sanctuary will provide these whales and dolphins with a greater chance of recovery and will allow Oman to continue research that is revealing new information of global significance. The growing interest in whale and dolphin watching from the tourist industry in Oman can also be capitalised upon.