Whaling Commission outlaws cash fee payments to tackle 'corruption'

Jul 14, 2011, 11:17 GMT

London - The International Whaling Commission (IWC) has adopted a resolution calling for greater transparency in its ranks and an end to the cash payment of membership fees which was seen as fuelling corruption, participants at its annual conference said Thursday.

The anti-corruption paper, presented by Britain but backed by all 27 European Union (EU) member states, was adopted by consensus despite initial resistance from key whaling nations such as Japan, Norway and Iceland, campaign group International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) said Thursday.

The 89-nation meeting of the international body for the control of whaling takes place on Jersey, one of the islands in the English Channel between Britain and France.

Although much watered down, the proposals adopted were 'a step in the right direction to rescue the credibility of the IWC,' IFAW director Patrick Ramage said.

'They are modest rule changes, and while we would have preferred the reforms to have gone further, we nevertheless welcome these initial steps,' he said.

The proposals adopted outlaw 'last minute cash payment of dues and ensuring improved governance and proper and timely reporting of Commission decisions within 14 days of meetings having taken place,' said a statement released by IFAW.

Campaigners have in the past accused top whaling nations of corruption and of 'manipulating' the votes of smaller member countries by paying their membership contributions in cash.