Mr ADAMS (12:58 PM) —I rise to speak on report 23, entitled Amendments proposed to the International Whaling Convention , of the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties. Whaling has been a controversial issue and has been the subject of a number of reports from the treaties committee. The International Whaling Commission was set up under the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling in 1946, and its purpose was `to provide for the proper conservation of whale stocks and thus make possible the orderly development of the whaling industry'.

Among its other activities, the IWC promotes studies into such matters as the humaneness of the killing operation, as well as collecting information and passing it on to other groups to ensure the survival of many species of whales—a very admirable approach. Although there have been zero catch limits in place since 1986, some nations continue to catch whales in accordance with the convention. This can be done in three ways: through scientific whaling, by a party objecting to the provisions and by aboriginal subsistence. The latter is permitted by quota and amended from time to time.

The treaties committee held an inquiry to report on matters arising from the existing treaties, which included looking at any material that had been supplied to parliament and any other matters that the Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade suggested that we should look at. The review was a result of a number of concerns that have been raised about the whaling that is still being carried out in certain parts of the world.

Australia itself does not currently conduct any whaling and also undertakes to protect the whales in Australian waters and those in the outer limits of the exclusive economic zone. But we do understand that there are various aboriginal communities around the world that rely on fishing for whales in their economies and their culture has grown around this activity. Whales have come back into the Derwent River where there was heavy whaling during the early development of Hobart and the colony of Tasmania.

I have told parliament before of a Tasmanian friend of mine who spent a year at Barrow in Alaska right on the north coast in an Inuit reserve. She described the feeling of watching the locals race down to the beach as the whale was beached and the excitement and skill required to carve up the carcass and distribute it fairly among the community. It was a whole new experience and certainly gave her an understanding of the need to keep access to hunting for indigenous people as a part of their life and their culture.

However, with the Bequian people it was a different situation because of their custom of taking whale calves and the accompanying females as this was against the international convention. There needs to be a statement of needs from these people seeking further information and also suggesting that hunting methods should be improved to reduce the suffering of the whales. The government of St Vincent and the Grenadines should ensure that hunts are effectively regulated. That should be laid down and put before the commission. The recommendation is also that no formal objection be made at this time, but that concerns should be expressed.

The feeling was that the quotas presently allocated should remain, but that a range of factors should be taken into account, such as the ability of the target species to cope with a quota without survival being endangered. I believe that the committee has looked very openly into this matter. This report has taken a responsible position and should be given the full support of the parliament.