THE Japanese Government today (September 14)  failed in their push to end the global moratorium on whaling at the 67th meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) in Brazil. 

Japan lost the vote on their 'Way Forward' proposal that would have led to new commercial whaling quotas being established by 2020; 27 countries voted in favour of Japan's proposal and 41 against.

The proposal needed a three-quarters majority to succeed, but did not even achieve a simple majority. Australia voted against the proposal.

“This is a win for the whales. Japan’s outrageous attempt to bring back commercial whaling has been condemned to history. This is Japan’s latest failure to resuscitate a dying industry,” said Tooni Mahto, campaigns manager with the Australian Marine Conservation Society (AMCS).

“The IWC’s rejection of Japan’s proposal sends a clear message to the Government of Japan that commercial whaling must be a thing of the past. Today the world has voted for the protection of the world’s majestic whales.

“Whaling has lost its social license on a global scale. Whaling is a cruel, outdated and unnecessary industry, and today's vote affirms the world's commitment to the protection of these gentle giants.

“Whales face a greater number of threats today that at any stage in their past. Climate change, entanglement in fishing nets, plastic pollution, underwater noise and ship strikes threaten our ocean giants. Our whales need help, not harpoons.

“Australia stood tall for the whales at this IWC meeting. The Australian Government led the charge to save the ban on whaling, and also increased pressure on Japan to cease its controversial ‘scientific whaling’ programs,” Mr Mahto said.

Under the Government of Japan’s 'Way Forward' proposal to change the rules of the IWC, Japan was also pushing to change the IWC’s voting rules so that decisions like the setting of whaling quotas could be made by a simple majority, rather than the current three quarters majority. That proposal failed too.

Australia has been a global leader in whale conservation since the Fraser Government banned whaling in 1979. Australia took and won the landmark International Court of Justice legal case against Japan in 2014.

AMCS is attending the meeting. The 89 nation IWC meets every two years.

The full Commission meeting is taking place in Florianopolis, Brazil from September 10-14, ending today.

www.amcs.org.au

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THE Queensland Resources Council (QRC) has welcomed the proposed merger of local Metallica Minerals and Canadian company Melior Resources as further proof of growing confidence in the State’s resources industry. 

Under the proposal, Melior will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Metallica, which will remain listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX). 

QRC chief executive Ian Macfarlane said he welcomed the recognition, in the merger announcement, on a pipeline of longer term development and exploration assets, all located in Queensland. 

These assets include: Goondicum Ilmenite and Phosphate rock mine; Cape York Heavy Mineral Sands and Bauxite Project JV; Cape Flattery Silica Sands Project; and the Esmeralda Graphite Project.

“At a time when the resources sector is creating a new job every hour and a $1 billion in exports every week, the proposed Metallica-Melior is further good news for a sector doing great things in Queensland,” Mr Macfarlane said. 

Simon Slesarewich, who will retain the managing director’s role, is a QRC board member. 

www.qrc.org.au

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PRO-WHALING nations including Japan, Iceland and Norway have blocked plans to create a whale sanctuary spanning the South Atlantic Ocean.

The Sanctuary failed in a vote at today’s International Whaling Commission (IWC) meeting in Brazil when whaling nations Japan, Iceland and Norway and other pro-whaling countries voted against the proposal.

The South Atlantic Whale Sanctuary failed to achieve the three-quarters majority needed to be established. 39 countries voted for the sanctuary, 25 against, with three abstentions. The Australia Government voted to support the establishment of the South Atlantic Whale Sanctuary.

“The world’s whales need sanctuary. Whales have never faced such a range of threats. Climate change, entanglement in fishing nets, plastic pollution, underwater noise and ship strikes threaten our ocean giants” said Tooni Mahto, campaigns manager with the Australian Marine Conservation Society (AMCS).

“There is an urgent need for us to better protect our whales and dolphins now, before it's too late.

“This sanctuary would have given our magnificent whales vital protection, and supported the growth of sustainable whale watching tourism to benefit local communities.

“Once again whaling nations have stood in the way of progress at the IWC.

“Pro-whaling nations have repeatedly blocked much-needed conservation measures like whale sanctuaries at recent IWC meetings, while pushing for a return to commercial whaling.

“Rather than supporting sanctuary for the whales, Japan wants to drag us back to the bad old days of global whaling.

“It is outrageous that Japan is urging the IWC to lift the ban on commercial whaling, and arguing for new commercial whaling quotas to be opened by 2020.

The IWC is due to debate the Government of Japan’s controversial “Way Forward” proposal that would lead to the resumption of commercial whaling tomorrow (Wednesday September 12, Brazil time).

Whale populations in the South Atlantic Ocean have been heavily impacted by commercial whaling and are yet to fully recover, AMCS said.

The ‘South Atlantic Whale Sanctuary’ proposal was put forward by the governments of Brazil, Argentina, Gabon, South Africa and Uruguay. Brazil committed to bring the proposal for a South Atlantic Whale Sanctuary back to next IWC meeting for approval.

AMCS is attending the meeting. The 89 nation IWC meets every two years.

The full Commission meeting is taking place in Florianopolis, Brazil September 10-14.

www.amcs.org.au

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QUEENSLAND’s leading women in resources will be in Canberra this week (Thursday) vying for top honours in the Women in Resources National Awards. 

They were the winners of the Queensland Resources Council (QRC) Women in Mining and Resources Queensland (WIMARQ) state awards presented in Brisbane in March and will join finalists from all other states and territories at the presentation event at Parliament House in the nation’s capital.

The awards will be presented by Kelly O’Dwyer, Minister for Jobs, Industrial Relations and Women and the Chair of the Minerals Council of Australia (MCA) Board of Directors Dr Vanessa Guthrie.

More than 20 federal parliamentarians will attend the awards breakfast in the Mural Hall, including Karen Andrews MP, Minister for Industry, Science and Technology.

“It’s testament to the importance of gender diversity in resources that so many federal parliamentarians are attending this event,” said QRC chief executive Ian Macfarlane.

“I am proud of all our Queensland finalists who are great examples of people and companies who have championed the cause of improving diversity in our resources sector.

“Here in Queensland our sector is creating a job every hour and it needs all hands to the pump to ensure we have the skilled workforce to match demand.

“That means we can’t afford to be missing out on the talents of half our population.

“Currently, women make up 15 percent of our workforce and I’m confident that through the efforts of our finalists, and our sector in general, we will reach our goal of at least 20 percent women in ‘non-traditional’ roles by 2020.

“Once we’ve reached that number, with the innovation and technology around today there’s no reason why we can’t aim for gender parity in our sector.

“I wish all our Queensland finalists well, but whatever the result, all remain winners and will continue to be our best ambassadors for our sector in Queensland.”

WIMARQ chair Maria Joyce said the awards not only recognised achievement, but also the finalists' dedication to creating workplaces that better reflected society.

“It’s been well documented that better gender balance leads to more innovation, improved safety and profitability for companies so it’s a no-brainer that we should be attracting and retaining more women in our sector,” she said.

“It’s notable that when these awards began in Queensland in 2006 the proportion of women was just six percent, and now it’s 15.

“Our finalists, and those who came before them have shown exceptional leadership in our sector’s efforts to increase gender diversity, and I wish them well.”

Queensland’s finalists:

• Jo -Anne Dudley senior manager Strategic Mine and Resources Planning Rio Tinto (Exceptional Woman in Queensland Resources)
• Holstein Wong Supply Analysis BHP (Exceptional Young Woman in Queensland Resources)
• Dannielle Weston Diesel Fitter Hastings Deering (Exceptional Queensland Trade/Technician/Operator)
• Rachel Durdin General Manager, Project Shaping Rio Tinto Brisbane (Gender Diversity Champion in Queensland Resources)
• Rio Tinto Weipa (Excellence in Diversity Programs and Performance)

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