David @ Tokyo

The IWC's 72nd member may not be too far off.

Cyprus, a tiny island in the Mediterranean Sea, appears set to join at the behest of the United Kingdom:

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions his Department has had with the Cypriot Government on Cyprus joining the International Whaling Conference. [99583]

Mr. Bradshaw: I have written to the Cypriot Government, and to all the other member states of the European Union that are not yet members of the International Whaling Commission (IWC), urging them to join the IWC, stressing the importance of their membership.

I am pleased to say that I received a reply from my counterpart in Cyprus. He has assured me of Cyprus' commitment to conservation issues and that the Cypriot Government is looking to join the IWC in the near future. The British Embassy in Nicosia is fully engaged in supporting the Cypriot Government in this step.

The problem for the United Kingdom is that there are only so many nations in the EU that have not yet joined the IWC to vote against sustainable whaling but would be willing to sacrifice their principles in order to do so.

The nations in favour of sustainable whaling on the other hand can appeal to nations that support sustainable use all around the world for support for the principle.

Labels: Cyprus, IWC vote influence, Whaling