International Whaling Commission Credibility Undermined by Greenland's Attempts to Increase Whale Hunt Quota

New Report Reveals Serious Failings in Greenlandic Whaling Operations

MUNICH and LONDON, February 24, 2010 - A rift between countries continues to widen ahead of a special meeting of
the International Whaling Commission (IWC) in Florida on 4th - 5th March,
where a controversial decision on resuming humpback whale hunts off Greenland
will be voted upon.

Although supported by the Nordic European countries, the Danish proposal
to allow a quota to hunt ten humpback whales for the first time in almost 25
years has previously failed to win enough votes, and continues to strain
relationships between European Union (EU) members, who must all vote the same
way at the special meeting.

The vote may even cast doubt on the long term future of the IWC itself.

The Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (WDCS) and The World Society
for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) have questioned the IWC's credibility if
it grants Greenland's request for an increased quota and are urging the 25
European members of the IWC to reject the proposal.

In a new, joint report "Questionable Quotas", WDCS and WSPA challenge the
proposed humpback catch, and reveal serious failings by Greenland in its
current 'subsistence' whaling operations including:

    - Inefficient processing methods, wasting up to 80% of each fin whale
      killed.
    - A current surplus (not a deficit as claimed) of whale products.
    - A refusal to substantiate its claim to need hundreds of tonnes of whale
      meat.
    - Whale products made available to all 55,000 residents, not just those
      needing whales for subsistence.
    - Widespread commercialisation and sale of whale products, contrary to
      the IWC's criteria of 'subsistence' and local use.

Claire Bass, of WSPA's marine mammal programme, said: "Around 25% of the
whales killed for 'aboriginal subsistence' purposes in Greenland end up on
supermarket shelves - as far as we're concerned commercial whaling was banned
in 1986 and that should apply to Greenland as much as any other nation. It's
simply unacceptable to add humpback whales to Greenland's shopping list."

Sue Fisher, of WDCS's anti-whaling programme urges the IWC to reject the
request: "Greenland is not demonstrating that it needs more whales. The IWC
will lose all credibility if it grants the Greenlandic proposal to resume
humpback whaling. It's incumbent on European members to finally climb off the
fence and block this proposal."

EU IWC members will meet again on Friday to agree how they will vote on
the proposal in early March. If the EU still cannot agree on its position and
instead abstains, conservationists are worried that remaining pro-whaling
majority will adopt this ill-conceived, flawed and harmful proposal.

    Media Contacts:

    For more information and interviews please contact:

    WDCS, Nicolas Entrup, phone: +49(0)-171-1423-117, e-mail:
    nicolas.entrup@wdcs.org, www.wdcs.org

    WSPA International, Bruce Sparrow, phone: +44(0)207-587-5014, e-mail:
    mediatemp2@wspa-international.org

www.wspa-international.org

For more information and interviews please contact: WDCS, Nicolas Entrup, phone: +49(0)-171-1423-117, e-mail: nicolas.entrup at wdcs.org, www.wdcs.org; WSPA International, Bruce Sparrow, phone: +44(0)207-587-5014, e-mail: mediatemp2 at wspa-international.org