20-Dec-2019: Japan to Withdraw from the International Whaling Commission.
Japan has decided to withdraw from the International Whaling Commission in a bid to resume commercial whaling for the first time in 30 years.
However, Japanese whalers are unlikely to catch the mammals in the Antarctic Ocean even after it quits the IWC as the government is considering allowing commercial whalers to operate only in seas near Japan and in its exclusive economic zone.
The decision, which will be announced by the end of this year, comes as pro- and anti-whaling members of the IWC have been stuck in decades of confrontation.
Japan’s pullout, currently planned for next year, could spark criticism from European and other countries opposed to the practice of whaling. It is extremely rare for Japan to withdraw from an international organization.
Its rationale could be also questioned as it is a member of the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea that calls for the use and conservation of marine resources via international organizations.
In order to leave the IWC next year, Japan needs to notify the commission by Jan. 1.
The nation’s attempts over the last 30 years to resume commercial whaling of relatively abundant species such as minke whales have always been stymied by countries such as Australia and New Zealand.
Most recently, its proposal to ease the IWC’s decision-making rules was also voted down in an annual meeting in September, and Tokyo issued a veiled warning of a potential pullout.
While Japan halted commercial whaling in 1988, in line with a moratorium adopted in 1982 by the IWC, it has hunted whales since 1987 for what it calls “scientific research.” But this has been criticized internationally as a cover for a commercial hunt.
Japan cannot continue its research whaling in the Antarctic Ocean if it pulls out of the IWC. Of the member countries, 41 are for whaling and 48 are against it, according to the Fisheries Agency.
Under IWC rules, a withdrawal decision becomes effective, in principle, on June 30 following notification to the commission by the previous Jan. 1.
Government officials say Japan will explain its stance and seek understanding from other countries.
Japan also suggested in 2007 that it might withdraw from the IWC in protest at the ban on commercial whaling, but it was later persuaded by the United States and other countries to remain in the organization.
Japan joined the IWC in 1951. The entity was established in 1948 under the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling to conserve whales and realize the “orderly development of the whaling industry.”
2-Jul-2019: Japan resumes commercial whaling
Japan has resumed commercial whale hunting after a hiatus of more than 30 years, defying calls from conservation groups to protect animals once hunted to the brink of extinction.
Tokyo has for decades fiercely defended whale hunting despite heavy criticism from the international community. The government and local authorities celebrate the practice as a tradition with a long history and cultural significance akin to the hunting of whales in countries such as Norway and Iceland, where commercial hunting is permitted, or among indigenous communities in the United States and Canada.
Key events related to Japanese whaling
1948 — The International Whaling Commission is established under the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling.
1951 — Japan joins the IWC.
1982 — The IWC adopts a moratorium on commercial whaling.
1987 — Japan starts hunting whales in the Antarctic Ocean for what it calls “scientific research” purposes.
1988 — Japan halts commercial whaling.
1994 — Japan launches research whaling in the Northwest Pacific.
2005 — Anti-whaling group Sea Shepherd starts obstructing Japan’s research whaling in Antarctic waters.
2014 — The International Court of Justice issues an order to halt Japanese research whaling in the Antarctic.
2015 — Japan resumes research whaling in the Antarctic by reducing the number of whales it hunts.
September 2018 — At its annual meeting in Brazil, the IWC rejects Japan’s proposal to resume commercial whaling.
Dec. 20 — Japan’s plan to withdraw from the IWC comes to light.
17-Jun-2019: Flagship project launched to build capacity on forest landscape restoration and Bonn Challenge
Union Environment Minister said that we as a country make targets not under any global pressure but for our own country’s real sustainable development, and as in the past India will play a leadership role and will lead by example in combating desertification. On the occasion of World Day to combat desertification and drought Shri Javadekar announced that India will be hosting the fourteenth session of Conference of Parties (COP - 14) from 29th August – 14th September 2019.
The Union Minister further highlighted that with about 30% of country’s total geographical area being affected by land degradation; India has high stakes and stands strongly committed to the Convention. Various schemes have been launched by the Government of India such as: Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), Soil Health Card Scheme, Soil Health Management Scheme, Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PKSY), Per Drop More Crop, , etc. which are helping to reduce land degradation. The Union Minister also unveiled the logo of COP-14 on the occasion.
CEO , NITI Aayog, Shri Amitabh Kant who was also present on the occasion said that the World Day to combat desertification is a unique occasion to remind global community that desertification can be effectively tackled, that solutions are possible, and that key tools to this aim lay in strengthened community participation and cooperation at all levels.
The Union Minister also launched a flagship project on enhancing capacity on forest landscape restoration (FLR) and Bonn Challenge in India, through a pilot phase of 3.5 years implemented in the States of Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Nagaland and Karnataka. Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) in partnership with The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), through this flagship project aims to develop and adapt best practices and monitoring protocols for the Indian states and build capacity within the five pilot states on FLR and Bonn Challenge. This will be eventually scaled up across the country through subsequent phases of the project.
The Bonn Challenge is a global effort to bring 150 million hectares of the world’s deforested and degraded land into restoration by 2020, and 350 million hectares by 2030. At the UNFCC Conference of the Parties (COP) 2015 in Paris, India also joined the voluntary Bonn Challenge pledge to bring into restoration 13 million hectares of degraded and deforested land by the year 2020, and additional 8 million hectares by 2030. India’s pledge is one of the largest in Asia.
United Nations has 3 Rio Conventions namely, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). Established in 1994, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) is the only legally binding international agreement linking environment and development issues to the land agenda. In 1994, the United Nations General Assembly declared 17 June the "World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought" to promote public awareness and the implementation of the UNCCD in the desertification affected countries.
India is hosting the Fourteenth session of Conference of Parties (COP - 14) from 29th August - 14th September 2019 at India Expo Mart Limited, Greater Noida. One of the primary functions of the COP is to review reports submitted by the Country Parties detailing how they are carrying out their commitments. India will take-over the COP presidency from China for two years until the next COP is hosted in 2021.
Over 5,000 representatives from over 197 countries drawn from national, regional and local governments, science and research communities, the private sector, international and non-governmental organizations and all forms media will address the issue of combating desertification, land degradation and drought during the two-week event.
26-May-2019: Six species listed as facing extinction in Russia
Six mammal, bird and fish species are facing the spectre of extinction in Russia according to a recent press release brought about by World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Russia on May 23, 2019.
These include the Saiga antelope, the gyrfalcon, the Persian leopard, the spoon-billed sandpiper, the Sakhalin sturgeon and the kaluga, also a type of sturgeon.
Meanwhile, the populations of some other species that were on the verge of extinction in the last century has increased due to conservation efforts. These include the Amur tiger, the population of which has grown to 580 from 50 in the 1940s. The population of the world’s rarest cat, the Amur leopard, has grown to 110 compared to 30-40 recorded in the 1990s.