IWC Plenary: Day Two

The day began with agreement on the importance of international and multi-disciplinary collaboration.  The Commission endorsed formal co-operative agreements with several organisations.  Two new agreements focused on bycatch, estimated to kill more than 300,000 cetaceans every year.  The IWC will partner with the  Fisheries and Agriculture Organisation and the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission on projects aiming to share information, collate data and raise awareness of the threat of bycatch, focusing specifically on tuna fisheries. 

The Commission also endorsed renewal of a long-term and successful partnership to build entanglement response capacity and a new agreement to enhance collaboration with COMHAFAT, the intergovernmental organisation promoting fisheries co-operation between African states bordering the Atlantic.

The Commission applauded the extensive outreach efforts already undertaken during the development of governance and budgetary reform proposals over the last four years, and agreed to continue discussions in an effort to answer the remaining questions and concerns.  Efforts will also continue to agree a balanced budget for the next intersessional period.

Other agenda items were opened and adjourned following initial discussions.  These included an amendment to the IWC Schedule, the legal framework of the Commission, and three Resolutions. The Schedule Amendment proposes creation of a new whale sanctuary in the South Atlantic.  Resolutions focus on Marine Plastic Pollution, Food Security and Implementation of a Conservation and Management Program for Whale Stocks aimed towards the lifting of the moratorium and the orderly development of the whaling industry.  Group discussions will continue on all these issues and they are scheduled to return to the plenary on Thursday.