Commodity-specific standards with harmonized phytosanitary measures have facilitated and accelerated trade negotiations and simplified safe trade in plant products.

Detections of pests in trade pathways are declining as exporting countries take more responsibility for managing the pest risk associated with exports, and importing countries report detections more quickly and more consistently.

NPPOs have built capacity and been supported to establish phytosanitary export assurance and phytosanitary certification systems that are robust and are trusted by trading partners.

The efficiency of administering phytosanitary certification systems has improved and the circulation of fraudulent certificates has been eliminated through electronic phytosanitary certification systems including the generic ePhyto national system and the global ePhyto hub.

NPPOs have access to expert advice to enable resolution of bilateral trade concerns of a phytosanitary nature.

NPPOs are able to meet regularly to deliberate on phytosanitary research and emerging issues and other matters of common interest.

Facilitate safe trade, development and economic growth.

Contracting parties have legislation in place to enable implementation of ePhyto.

Trade in CITES-listed species is conducted in full compliance with the Convention in order to achieve their conservation and sustainable use.

Parties comply with their obligations under the Convention through the adoption and implementation of appropriate legislation, policies, and procedures.

Implementation of the Convention at the national level is consistent with Resolutions and Decisions adopted by the Conference of the Parties.

The Appendices correctly reflect the conservation status and needs of species.

Parties improve the conservation status of CITES-listed specimens, put in place national conservation actions, support their sustainable use and promote cooperation in managing shared wildlife resources.

Conservation, restoration and sustainable use of biodiversity in the Carpathians is enhanced, by harmonized and coordinated efforts and cooperation on conservation, maintenance and sustainable use of natural and semi-natural habitats and securing habitat continuity and connectivity; restoration of degraded habitats; conservation and sustainable use of species of flora and fauna characteristic to the Carpathians, especially endangered or endemic species and large carnivores; and conservation and restoration of wetlands and fresh water ecosystems. (Source: Main reference document: Carpathian Convention Biodiversity Protocol Article 1 on General objective and principles)

By 2032, any take, use and trade of migratory species listed in CMS Appendices is sustainable, safe and legal, overexploitation is prevented, risk of pathogen spillover is reduced and negative impacts on non-target species and their ecosystems are minimized. Explanation: Based on the best available knowledge and information, the main drivers of illegal and unsustainable take are identified and analysed for each migratory species to provide a basis for effective conservation and/or management actions, including cooperative actions beyond Range State jurisdictions. Interventions to effectively address the main drivers are undertaken in consultation with relevant stakeholders, indigenous peoples and local communities, and include protection measures for species listed in Appendix I through national legislation, comprehensive and effective enforcement, and management measures to halt illegal and unsustainable take. As a result, there should be no taking of any Appendix I species that is not in compliance with the Convention. Furthermore, steps will be taken towards eliminating any unsustainable take of Appendix II species and non-target CMS-listed migratory species that may also be affected, and towards reducing the risk of pathogen spillover to or from CMS-listed species to prevent the spread of zoonotic diseases.

By 2029, Parties have mechanisms in place, including national legislation and enforcement mechanisms where relevant, to fully implement the Convention, its Resolutions and Decisions. Explanation: Parties can demonstrate that they have national legislation, policies and plans in place that enables them to fully implement the obligations under CMS, especially Articles III and IV. Furthermore, Parties can provide evidence of comprehensive and effective enforcement of the legislation.

Threats affecting migratory species are eliminated or significantly reduced.

Implementation of CMS is supported by effective governance, including use of best available science and information, and collaborative working.

The ecological character of Ramsar sites is maintained or restored, through effective planning and integrated management.

By 2030, achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources

By 2020, promote the implementation of sustainable management of all types of forests, halt deforestation, restore degraded forests and substantially increase afforestation and reforestation globally

By 2020, effectively regulate harvesting and end overfishing, illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and destructive fishing practices and implement science-based management plans, in order to restore fish stocks in the shortest time feasible, at least to levels that can produce maximum sustainable yield as determined by their biological characteristics

By 2030, increase the economic benefits to small island developing States and least developed countries from the sustainable use of marine resources, including through sustainable management of fisheries, aquaculture and tourism

Take urgent action to end poaching and trafficking of protected species of flora and fauna and address both demand and supply of illegal wildlife products

Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns.

Enhance global support for efforts to combat poaching and trafficking of protected species, including by increasing the capacity of local communities to pursue sustainable livelihood opportunities

Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development.

Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss

Resolution on Aboriginal Subsistence Whaling (AWS)   WHEREAS Resolution 1982-3 states that it is the purpose of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) to provide for the effective conservation and management of whale stocks; WHEREAS the Commission recognises the importance of accommodating the needs of aboriginal people who are dependent upon whales for subsistence and cultural purposes and that the Commission intends that the needs of aboriginals shall be determined by the Governments concerned and explained in needs statements that are submitted to the Commission. WHEREAS Aboriginal Subsistence Whaling (ASW) management is a fundamental and integral part of the duties to be performed by the IWC; WHEREAS Resolution 1994-4 states that for aboriginal subsistence whaling the IWC objectives are to: ensure that the risks of extinction to individual stocks are not seriously increased by subsistence whaling; enable aboriginal people to harvest whales in perpetuity at levels appropriate to their cultural and nutritional requirements, subject to the other objectives; and maintain the status of stocks at or above the level giving the highest net recruitment and to ensure that stocks below that level are moved towards it, so far as the environment permits; WHEREAS Resolution 1994-4 also states that highest priority shall be accorded to the objective of ensuring that the risk of extinction to individual stocks are not seriously increased by subsistence whaling; WHEREAS the Scientific Committee in its 2009 report endorsed an interim safe approach to setting catch limits for the Greenlandic hunt in 2008 and agreed that this should be considered valid for two blocks, i.e. up to, and including, the 2018 whaling season; WHEREAS the Commission and the Scientific Committee have agreed that long-term scientific advice on ASW management should follow the Strike Limit Algorithm (SLA) approach; WELCOMING the relevant work carried out by the Scientific Committee, especially the considerable progress in developing SLAs and providing management advice for the Greenlandic hunt; NOTING WITH SATISFACTION the completion of the SLA for humpback whales off West Greenland which provides a more robust basis for providing long-term management advice to the Commission on the subsistence hunt of humpback whales off West Greenland; WELCOMING ALSO the work of the Scientific Committee towards considering a multi-species SLA; WELCOMING FURTHER the additional work undertaken on conversion factors within Greenland, including improved procedures for data collection and updating the new information obtained (SC/65b/AWMP05) in line with the recommendations of the Scientific Committee in 2013 and NOTING that the Scientific Committee has agreed that annual update reports are unnecessary for its work, but has suggested that data are submitted directly to the Commission when it meets and incorporated as necessary into need statements; NOW, THEREFORE, THE COMMISSION: EMPHASISES the need to regulate ASW in the future through a more consistent and long-term approach; URGES all contracting governments to participate more actively in the work of the ASW Sub­ committee; REQUESTS the Scientific Committee to give high priority to all AWMP-related activities, including modelling and data collection and to complete, and, to the extent possible, accelerate its work on the development of agreed and validated SLAs for the Greenland hunt, at least by species, before 2018 in accordance with its current work plan as well as consider the integration of these SLAs so as to provide multispecies advice for the next quota period; FURTHER REQUESTS the ASW Sub-committee to address as a matter of urgency the following issues for the period 2014-2018: Standardised need statements, building on the work already carried out in the ASW sub­ committee and by the Ad Hoc ASW Working Group; Better understanding of the relationship between needs and consumption patterns for ASW hunts, including by collecting data on landings for each category, local consumption and use and the extent of monetary transactions; preparation of a proposal to update paragraph 13a of the Schedule to the International Convention on the Regulation of Whaling to reflect the SLA approach for consideration bylWC66. THANKS the Kingdom of Denmark for providing the updated 2014 needs statement for Greenland; INVITES the ASW countries to continue to provide regular data and improve information on all aspects of their hunts and needs.

AWARE that there exist differences in views between member states on the regulatory competence of the IWC with regard to small cetaceans, and noting that this Resolution does not seek in any way to prejudice different members' positions; NOTING that the biology ofvaquita and concerns about incidental mortality in the shark and totoaba fishery were first mentioned in the published report of the IWC Scientific Committee's first meeting on small cetaceans, Montreal, 1974 (IWC, 1975).i NOTING that the Commission first passed Resolution 1994-3, which acknowledged the immediate need to eliminate incidental catches of vaquita throughout the entire range of the species; AWARE that the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) listed the vaquita as Critically Endangered in 1996, and the population has significantly declined since then as a result of bycatch in entangling fishing nets (gillnets); RECALLING IWC Resolution 2007-5 which urged members of the IWC and the world community to support Mexico's efforts to prevent the extinction of the vaquita by reducing bycatch to zero in the immediate future and assisting in providing financial resources and technical as well as socio- economic expertise; RECALLING the repeated recommendations of the IWC Scientific Committee, the International Committee for the Recovery of the Vaquita (CIRVA) and the IUCN that gillnets must be eliminated from the vaquita's range in order to reduce bycatch to zero; CONCERNED about the recent escalation of the illegal totoaba fishery and the illegal international trade of totoaba swim bladders, which has precipitated a dramatic decline in vaquita numbers over the last five years; DEEPLY CONCERNED that the estimated total abundance of vaquitas in 2015 was 59 (95% Cl 22- 145), compared to previous estimates of 567 (95% Cl 177-1,073) in 1997 and 245 (95% Cl 68-884) in 2008; FURTHER CONCERNED that at leastthreevaquita were killed by totoaba gillnets in March 2016, despite strong enforcement efforts in the Upper Gulfof California; NOTING the Scientific Committee's strong endorsement of the recommendations contained in the June 2016 CIRVA-7 report;ii NOTING the recent adoption of IUCN Resolution 013 on "Actions to avert the extinction ofthe vaquita porpoise (Phocoena sinus)" and CITES Decision 17.Xa ''Totoaba - Totoaba macdonaldi - Opportunities for international collaboration within the CITES framework" RECOGNISING the hardships faced by the fishing communities of the Upper Gulf in light of the gillnet ban, and mindful of the need to develop and support alternative livelihoods such that these communities can overcome these challenges;   NOW THEREFORE THE COMMISSION: EXPRESSES DEEP CONCERN that the vaquita numbers less than 59 animals and is facing imminent extinction; AFFIRMS that only a permanent, complete, and effective gillnet ban in all fisheries operating in the Upper Gulf of California will prevent the imminent extinction of the vaquita; COMMENDS the Mexican Government for the Strategy on the Comprehensive Care of the Upper Gulf of California that includes an interagency enforcement programme, a two-year gillnet ban (from May 2015), compensation for fishermen and those who work in fishery-related activities and the development of alternative fishing gear; COMMENDS the Mexican Government on the announcement of a permanent ban on gillnets in the Upper Gulf of California gillnet exclusion zone from April 2017 and the programme to remove derelict fishing gear in the Upper Gulfof California. URGES the Mexican Government to eliminate any exemptions to the ban, which can facilitate illegal fishing for totoaba, and to prohibit the use of any gillnets within the range of the vaquita; ENDORSES the recommendations of the IWC Scientific Committee, in particular the urgent need to strengthen enforcement efforts against illegal fishing in Mexico and totoaba smuggling out of Mexico and into transit and destination countries; the urgent need to remove active and ghost gillnets from the range of the vaquita; and the need to maintain the acoustic monitoring programme as a key action in support of any recovery strategy; URGES all Contracting Governments to follow the recommendations in CITES Decision 17. xa and strengthen enforcement actions to eliminate the illegal international trade in totoaba swim bladders, in particular those countries where totoaba products are consumed or in transit, including the United States and China; URGES Contracting Governments to support Mexico's efforts to prevent the extinction of the vaquita by assisting in providing financial resources as well as technical and socio-economic expertise; REQUESTS the IWC Secretary to forward a copy of this Resolution to the CITES, FAO and IUCN Secretariats 

CONCERNED with the finding of the Scientific Committee concurring with the recent results of the baiji survey in the Yangzte River that has led the scientific community to conclude that the baiji is functionally extinct. It is the first cetacean species to disappear in modern times. The main factors that drove the baiji (Lipotes vexillifer) to extinction were habitat degradation and incidental catch. RECALLING that since 1991 the IWC SC has recommended that conservation actions must be taken immediately to eliminate bycatch of the vaquita (Phocoena sinus) in the northernmost Gulf of California, Mexico, to prevent its extinction. Moreover, since 1997 the International Committee for the Recovery of Vaquita (CIRVA) has recommended that bycatch be reduced to zero by banning entangling nets throughout the vaquita’s range whilst noting the difficulties involved in trying to reconcile the vaquita’s need for immediate protection with the needs of the affected people. FURTHER RECALLING that IUCN has listed the vaquita as Vulnerable in 1978, Endangered in 1990 and Critically Endangered since 1996. NOTING that CIRVA recommended a staged reduction in fishing effort starting in January 2000, with the expectation that gillnetting would be completely eliminated by January 2002. FURTHER NOTING that in March 2007 the IUCN Director-General expressed, through a letter to the President of Mexico, that organization’s grave concern about the future of the vaquita. IUCN also acknowledged the serious social and economic implications of banning the use of entangling nets in the Northern Gulf and indicated that conservation efforts must include programs that will help meet the needs of people in the region. FURTHER NOTING that Mexico has followed many of the recommendations to protect and monitor the vaquita, e.g. by closing the totoaba fishery, protecting the vaquita’s habitat through Marine Protected Areas (Biosphere Reserve of the Upper Gulf of California and Delta of the Colorado River and the recently declared Vaquita Refuge), and implementing an acoustic monitoring program. FURTHER RECALLING that the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources and the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries have been working cooperatively with several non-governmental organizations to implement a comprehensive recovery plan with a strong socio-economic component as recommended by CIRVA. FURTHER CONCERNED that progress towards reducing/eliminating entanglement has been very slow despite efforts to ban gillnets from the vaquita’s core area of occurrence and elsewhere in the Northern Gulf. The baiji experience shows that extinction can happen rapidly and without evidence of a steady or prolonged decline, if appropriate conservation actions are not taken promptly. FURTHER NOTING that the vaquita’s survival is at a critical juncture. The best hope for the species is that the international community and non-governmental organizations will support the Government of Mexico by providing technical and financial assistance in the implementation of CIRVA’s Recovery Plan and the Biosphere Reserve. NOW THEREFORE THE COMMISSION: COMMENDS Mexico’s intense recent efforts to prevent the extinction of the vaquita despite the difficulties involved in reducing bycatch to zero, and especially given the difficulties of providing alternative livelihoods to isolated fishing communities in the Northern Gulf. FURTHER COMMENDS the President of Mexico for the recent announcement on the Conservation Program for Endangered Species (PROCER), which calls for the implementation of specific Species Conservation Action Programs (PACE) for a list of selected species. The vaquita is among the top five species on this list.IWC59\Resolution 2007-5 2 04/06/07 URGES the Members of IWC and the world community to support Mexico's efforts to prevent the extinction of the vaquita by reducing bycatch to zero in the immediate future and assisting in providing financial resources and technical as well as socio-economic expertise.

Resolution 2001-12 Resolution on Dall’s Porpoise RECOGNISING that for more than a decade there has been concern about the status of Dall’s porpoise stocks impacted by the Japanese hand-harpoon fishery, and that the Government of Japan has provided much valuable information to assess the status of these stocks in the past, leading to a substantial decrease in the numbers taken, although not to the levels recommended by the Scientific Committee; WHEREAS in 1999 the Commission directed the Scientific Committee to review the status of Dall’s porpoise stocks exploited in the Japanese hand harpoon hunt and that this review was carried out at the 53rd meeting of the Scientific Committee; NOTING however, that this year data for the Dall’s porpoise status review was not made available by the Government of Japan, and that the work of the Scientific Committee was hampered because of this; CONCERNED that the most recent abundance estimate for the exploited stocks was made in 1991, and that since this time more than 130,000 Dall’s porpoises have been reported taken; NOTING that there has been a recent increase in the proportion of lactating females in some catches which may reflect a change in hunting techniques whereby hunters target females with dependent calves; FURTHER NOTING that reported catch statistics are also limited by the absence of data on number of individuals struck and lost, inaccurate reporting on a stock-by-stock basis and the absence of data on age, sex and reproductive condition; NOTING the Scientific Committee’s report that a total of 11,973 Dall’s porpoises were taken as by-catch from 1993 to 1999 in the Japanese salmon drift-net fishery that operates in the Russian EEZ, and that some of these by-catches are from the stocks impacted by the Japanese harpoon fishery; FURTHER NOTING that the Scientific Committee reported that these by-catches should be considered in any future assessment of Dall’s porpoises in this region; NOTING ALSO that the Scientific Committee recommended that Governments should report by-catches of Dall’s porpoises on an annual basis to the Scientific Committee; NOTING that in 1990 the Scientific Committee recommended that catches of Dall’s porpoises should be reduced to levels below 10,000 each year, and that, subsequently, catches have exceeded these levels; CONCERNED that reported levels of directed takes alone exceed levels considered by the Scientific Committee to be sustainable; NOTING that the Scientific Committee reiterated its extreme concern for these stocks and repeated its previous recommendations that catches be reduced as soon as possible to sustainable levels; NOW THEREFORE THE COMMISSION: DIRECTS the Scientific Committee to carry out a full assessment of the status of exploited Dall’s porpoise stocks as soon as sufficient additional information becomes available; CALLS ON the Government of Japan to provide information necessary to carry out such an assessment; namely improved catch statistics for each stock, including information on age, sex and reproductive status and numbers struck and lost, and new abundance estimates for each stock; REQUESTS all governments with fisheries in the range of these stocks to fully report by-catch to the Scientific Committee on an annual basis; URGES the Government of Japan to halt the directed takes of Dall’s porpoises until a full assessment by the Scientific Committee has been carried out.

Resolution 2001-4 Resolution on the incidental capture of Cetaceans NOTING that the problem of the incidental capture of non-target species in fishing gear is a problem of international proportions, and is the subject of serious concern within a number of international agreements, including the Convention on Migratory Species, RECOGNISING that the problem of by-catch of cetaceans has been discussed by the IWC for over twenty years, RECALLING IWC Resolution 2000-8 (on the North Atlantic Right Whale) and 2000-9 (on fresh water cetaceans), ACKNOWLEDGING that the problem of by-catch may prove critical for some species, NOW THEREFORE, THE COMMISSION COMMENDS the work of the Scientific Committee on the Estimation of By-catch and Other Human-Induced Mortality; URGES all members to contribute fully to the Committee’s further work on this matter; REQUESTS the Scientific Committee to provide to the 54th Annual Meeting of the Commission a summary of its work in recent years on the most feasible methods to mitigate the incidental capture of large cetaceans in fishing gear, and ways in which entangled large cetaceans may be removed from fishing gear with minimal risk to rescuers; RECOMMENDS that all Contracting Parties make reasonable attempts to release alive, with the minimum harm possible, whales that have been incidentally captured. If the whale cannot be released alive, the Commission recommends that: (a) There shall be no commercial exchange of incidentally-captured whales for which no catch limit has been set by the Commission; (b) If an incidentally-captured whale is subject to a catch limit awarded under the RMP, and the sovereign government wishes to permit commercial exchange for that whale, then: (i) A DNA sample must be forwarded to the appropriate diagnostic register; (ii) The incidental capture must be counted against the overall quota for that species or stock.

Resolution 2001-13 Resolution on Small Cetaceans APPRECIATING the valuable work of the Standing Sub Committee on Small Cetaceans (SCSC) and recognising the usefulness of its findings to other international and regional bodies; COMMENDING the SCSC’s species and population-specific reviews which enable the Scientific Committee and Commission to make species-specific recommendations; NOTING in particular the Scientific Committee’s recent acknowledgement of the critically endangered status of the baiji and vaquita, the depleted or unknown status of many beluga stock and the uncertain status of the narwhal; NOTING the continuing and critical threat to some small cetaceans posed by directed takes and their incidental capture in fisheries operations; WELCOMING the information on direct and incidental takes of small cetaceans provided by some Contracting Governments through their annual progress reports to the IWC; RECOGNISING the Government of Mexico’s recovery strategy for the vaquita, the objective of which is to reduce by-catches of vaquita as rapidly as possible; CONCERNED that, in the absence of information on population status, trends and distribution, takes and other anthropogenic removals, the removal of certain small cetaceans may be detrimental to the survival of that species; REGRETTING that, despite repeated requests for information and action on certain species and populations, the requested information and action have not always been forthcoming; NOW THEREFORE THE COMMISSION: COMMENDS Contracting Governments who have instigated/taken conservation measures in relation to small cetaceans in their waters and through other regional bodies; URGES Contracting Governments to respond to outstanding and future requests from the Scientific Committee for information on the status of, and threats to small cetaceans and recommendations for action; DIRECTS the Scientific Committee to undertake a regular review of the extent to which outstanding recommendations and resolutions relating to small cetaceans have been fulfilled; CALLS ON Contracting Governments to report to the extent practicable information on all direct and non-direct takes and other anthropogenic removals in their national progress reports; URGES Contracting Governments to take all appropriate measures to prevent, minimise and mitigate by-catch of small cetaceans in fisheries operations; SUPPORTS the recommendations of the Scientific Committee in 1999 that beluga range states continue studies to resolve the structure of beluga stocks, conduct contaminant analysis and health assessments and provide relevant scientific data to the Scientific Committee; FURTHER URGES narwhal range states to respond to the recommendations of the Scientific Committee in 1999 to undertake genetic and telemetry studies to identify stocks and improve catch reporting, as well as to assess the potential impact of threats including radionuclide contamination; FURTHER URGES all Contracting Governments to respond to the Scientific Committee’s requests to report progress on the conservation of critically endangered species, including baiji; ENCOURAGES Contracting Governments to offer technical, scientific and financial support to range states to assist their small cetacean conservation measures;2001-13.doc 2 15/05/12 11:26 URGES the IWC under its Memorandum of Understanding with the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) to pursue complementary and mutually supportive actions in respect of small cetaceans.

Whereas the International Whaling Commission has been widely recognised as the main international body directly charged with the conservation of cetaceans and the management of whaling; Recognising that the evolution of whale research methods, management alternatives and the sustainable use of whale resources, as well as that of international law since the adoption of the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling (ICRW) in 1946 has led the role of the Commission to evolve through the adoption of more than a hundred conservation-oriented resolutions, as well as through various Schedule amendments to include, inter alia, the management of non-lethal appropriation of whale resources, as well as the maintenance of healthy cetacean populations to fulfill the vital ecological and carbon cycling roles these animals play in the global marine ecosystem functioning; Acknowledging that there are diverging views among Member States of the Commission regarding how the IWC´s mandate should be adequately implemented, in a manner that would satisfy the broadest interest of all humankind in the conservation of cetaceans and their habitats, while recognizing the importance of accommodating the needs of indigenous people who are dependent upon whales for subsistence and cultural purposes; Recalling Resolution 2007-3 on the non-lethal use of cetaceans and further acknowledging that cetaceans make significant contributions to ecosystem functioning and are beneficial for the natural environment and people, and that the sustainable, non-lethal and non-extractive use of whales is a rapidly growing activity deserving of recognition that provides significant socio-economic benefits for coastal communities around the world, particularly in developing countries; Reaffirming that the moratorium on commercial whaling, which has been in effect since 1986, has contributed to the recovery of some cetacean populations, and AWARE of the cumulative effects of multiple, existing and emerging threats to cetacean populations such as entanglement, bycatch, underwater noise, ship strikes, marine debris and climate change; Noting that Whale Sanctuaries have been repeatedly proposed by member States under Article V of the ICRW with the support of a majority of the Contracting governments in areas where non-lethal activities have provided relevant scientific results, jobs and income for coastal communities, Further noting Resolution 2018-1 on the Response to the Independence Review of the International Whaling Commission; Now, therefore the Commission: Agrees that the role of the International Whaling Commission in the 21st Century includes inter alia its responsibility to ensure the recovery of cetacean populations to their pre-industrial levels, and in this context reaffirms the importance in maintaining the moratorium on commercial whaling; Acknowledges the existence of an abundance of contemporary non-lethal cetacean research methods and therefore agrees that the use of lethal research methods is unnecessary; Seeks to ensure that aboriginal subsistence whaling for the benefit of indigenous communities should meet the Commission's management and conservation objectives, taking into account the safety of hunters and the welfare of cetaceans; Instructs the Commission’s relevant subsidiary bodies to take into account the need to adequately fund conservation and non-lethal management issues when implementing the plan to be developed by the Working Group on Operational Effectiveness according to Resolution 2018-1;  

Resolution 2006-1 ST. KITTS AND NEVIS DECLARATION EMPHASISING that the use of cetaceans in many parts of the world including the Caribbean, contributes to sustainable coastal communities, sustainable livelihoods, food security and poverty reduction and that placing the use of whales outside the context of the globally accepted norm of science-based management and rule- making for emotional reasons would set a bad precedent that risks our use of fisheries and other renewable resources; FURTHER EMPHASING that the use of marine resources as an integral part of development options is critically important at this time for a number of countries experiencing the need to diversify their agriculture; UNDERSTANDING that the purpose of the 1946 International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling (ICRW) is to ‘provide for the proper conservation of whale stocks and thus make possible the orderly development of the whaling industry’ (quoted from the Preamble to the Convention) and that the International Whaling Commission (IWC) is therefore about managing whaling to ensure whale stocks are not over-harvested rather than protecting all whales irrespective of their abundance; NOTING that in 1982, the IWC adopted a moratorium on commercial whaling (paragraph 10 e of the Schedule to the ICRW) without advice from the Commission’s Scientific Committee that such measure was required for conservation purposes; FURTHER NOTING that the moratorium which was clearly intended as a temporary measure is no longer necessary, that the Commission adopted a robust and risk-averse procedure (RMP) for calculating quotas for abundant stocks of baleen whales in 1994 and that the IWC’s own Scientific Committee has agreed that many species and stocks of whales are abundant and sustainable whaling is possible; CONCERNED that after 14 years of discussion and negotiation, the IWC has failed to complete and implement a management regime to regulate commercial whaling. ACCEPTING that scientific research has shown that whales consume huge quantities of fish making the issue a matter of food security for coastal nations and requiring that the issue of management of whale stocks must be considered in a broader context of ecosystem management since eco-system management has now become an international standard. REJECTING as unacceptable that a number of international NGOs with self-interest campaigns should use threats in an attempt to direct government policy on matters of sovereign rights related to the use of resources for food security and national development; NOTING that the position of some members that are opposed to the resumption of commercial whaling on a sustainable basis irrespective of the status of whale stocks is contrary to the object and purpose of the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling; UNDERSTANDING that the IWC can be saved from collapse only by implementing conservation and management measures which will allow controlled and sustainable whaling which would not mean a return to historic over-harvesting and that continuing failure to do so serves neither the interests of whale conservation nor management; NOW THEREFORE: COMMISSIONERS express their concern that the IWC has failed to meet its obligations under the terms of the ICRW and, DECLARE our commitment to normalising the functions of the IWC based on the terms of the ICRW and other relevant international law, respect for cultural diversity and traditions of coastal peoples and the fundamental principles of sustainable use of resources, and the need for science-based policy and rulemaking that are accepted as the world standard for the management of marine resources.

WHEREAS it is the purpose of the 1946 International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling (ICRW) to provide for the effective conservation and management of whale stocks through a coherent system of international regulation; WHEREAS the International Whaling Commission is the universally recognised competent international organisation responsible for the management of whales and whaling; WHEREAS the Commission's Resolution at its 31st Annual Meeting (Rep. int. Whal. Commn 30: 38), and prior Resolutions, declared that member States should not import whale products from non-member countries; WHEREAS at a Special Meeting in Tokyo in 1978, the Commission recognised that, to reinforce adherence to IWC regulations, it is desirable to use each international opportunity to ban trade in those species and stocks of whales that receive total protection from commercial whaling; WHEREAS at the Special Meeting, the Commission requested the Second Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) to take all possible measures to support the IWC ban on commercial whaling for certain species and stocks of whales, as provided in the Schedule to the ICRW; WHEREAS at the Special Meeting, the Commission resolved that each Contracting Government take all appropriate measures to prevent the import of any whale or whale product taken or processed under the jurisdiction of any non-IWC member countries; WHEREAS in 1979, CITES recognised that the meat and other products of protected stocks of whales are subject to international trade that cannot be controlled effectively by the IWC alone; WHEREAS in 1979, the Second Meeting of the Conference of the Parties recommended that CITES Parties agree not to issue for primarily commercial purposes any import or export permit, or certificate for introduction from the sea, for any specimen of a species or stock protected from commercial whaling by the ICRW; WHEREAS at its Annual Meeting in 1982, the Commission set catch limits for the killing for commercial purposes of whales from all stocks for the 1985 coastal and the 1985-86 pelagic seasons at zero, which catch limits remain in effect under paragraph 10(e) of the ICRW Schedule; WHEREAS under CITES there is a prohibition on commercial trade, including introduction from the sea, in all stocks of whales for which the IWC has set zero catch limits; WHEREAS at its Annual Meeting in 1986, the Commission resolved that the products of research whaling should be used "primarily for local consumption"; WHEREAS the Commission is concerned by reports of the discovery of whale products appearing for sale in, or en route to, importing countries, from no plausible legitimate source; WHEREAS the Commission in 1993 sought information on possible illegal whaling activities by non-member governments, and is concerned to prevent such activities and the trade in whale products derived from such activities; NOW THEREFORE the International Whaling Commission: (1) CALLS UPON all IWC members to enforce strictly their existing international obligations under the ICRW, including fully complying with the moratorium on commercial whaling declared in paragraph 10(e) of the Schedule, and under CITES, relating to the control of international trade in whale products. (2) REAFFIRMS the need for Contracting Governments fully to observe earlier IWC resolutions addressing trade questions, particularly resolutions prohibiting the import of any whale or whale product taken or processed under the jurisdiction of any non-IWC member countries; (3) OBSERVES that any commercial international trade in whale products obtained from research whaling or fisheries bycatch makes illegal commerce more difficult to detect, and undermines the effectiveness of the IWC's conservation program; (4) CONSIDERS THEREFORE that meat and products from research whaling should be utilised entirely for domestic consumption; and (5) INVITES each Contracting Government to report to the Infractions Sub-committee at every Annual Meeting: (a) information on whale meat and products available on its domestic market, and the specific source of those items (i.e., commercial whaling, research whaling, fisheries bycatch); (b) any shipments of whale meat and products intercepted in international commerce, especially those involving their nationals or interests, and what measures the Government has taken in response; and (c) any other developments relevant to trade in whale meat or products (e.g., new laws or regulations).

RECALLING that the Commission agreed that one of the remaining elements of RMS to be completed consists of ‘arrangements to ensure that total catches over time are within limits set under the RMS’ (IWC Resolution 1996-6); CONSIDERING that bycatches can substantially contribute to the total catches over time and therefore need to be recorded; NOTING that not all Contracting Parties are submitting Annual Progress Reports to the Scientific Committee, and that some reports that are submitted do not include bycatch statistics; AWARE that at its 49th Annual Meeting, the Commission received valuable information on the bycatch of many species of cetaceans by members of the Commission; NOW THEREFORE the Commission; CALLS upon all Contracting Parties to improve their monitoring and reporting of all cetaceans, especially large whales, taken incidentally in all fishing operations, and to report those incidental catches to the 50th Annual Meeting of the IWC and at all future meetings; URGES all Contracting Parties to exchange information about bycatch reduction efforts and release of live cetaceans.