Posts Tagged ‘Trade’
International wildlife convention decision could lead to more endangered whale deaths
Japan’s illegal trade in sei whale meat looks set to continue for now following a disappointing decision made at a meeting of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). CITES is an international agreement between governments that ensures international trade in specimens of wild animals does not threaten…
Read MoreWTO rules that animal welfare trumps trade
On Thursday, 22nd May 2014, the World Trade Organisation upheld the European Union’s ban on the import of seal pelts, oil and meat on moral grounds. Canada and Norway had previously challenged the ban. The fundamental point of this ruling is that trade issues cannot trump concerns over animal welfare and conservation. The ruling comes…
Read MoreWhy do loopholes always favour the bad guys?
It’s well known, of course, that Japan has killed whales for decades by exploiting a loophole in IWC legislation (under Article VIII of the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling, the IWC’s founding treaty) which permits member states to issue ‘special permits’ to their nationals to whale under the guise of ‘scientific research’. So…
Read MoreJapan to import whale meat to subsidise ‘scientific whaling’?
In what must be the most perverse of arguments, Japan claims it now needs to import whale meat in order to generate enough ‘profit’ to subsidise its so-called ‘scientific whaling‘. The Yomuiri Shimbun reports that a ‘Japanese firm that has played a central role in research whaling will soon launch full-scale whale meat imports after a…
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