NZ And Australia Asked To Respect Tuvalu's Position On Whaling
Tuesday: June 7, 2005 Pacific Nius Service

The Prime Minister of Tuvalu, Maatia Toafa says Australia and New Zealand should not pressure his government to change its decision in supporting the sustainable hunting of whales.

Mr Toafa believes that the two countries are mistaken in their interpretation of Tuvalu’s stance on whaling.

“The position is that we support the harvesting of marine resources, including whales, but at a sustainable level,” Mr Toafa said.

“It is unfortunate that both Australia and New Zealand interpret that as pro-whaling. I respect their interpretation and I ask if they could allow Tuvalu to make its own decision without putting pressure on us.”

“I believe that sustainable harvesting of all marine resources or any other resources for that matter that has been given by the heaven god. We need to respect the Japanese or whoever who prefer to make use of the whales,” he said.

Tuvalu joined the International Whaling Commission last year.

Meanwhile, Australia’s environment minister, Ian Campbell is on a whirlwind tour of the South Pacific to gather support for an extension of the 20-year moratorium on commercial whaling.

Australia needs the support of a majority of International Whaling Commission (IWC) nations at its annual meeting in South Korea later this month to withstand the whaling push.

Describing his trip as a “life and death mission for whales,” Senator Campbell said only a handful of votes would decide whether a 20-year moratorium on commercial whale hunting was lifted…. PNS