CMS COP 9 - The final day

ENTER THE GLADIATORS.

Today is going to be tough and we enter the last day of the COP with some trepidation. Much has been left to be settled today – all the resolutions and the budget and the clock is ticking.



The Ladies of WDCS (and the Coliseum)

Anyway, when the news about the reduced budget for the Convention breaks, we have to respond strongly, hence WDCS, with Niki Entrup speaking, recognizes the tough financial crises that Countries are experiencing globally. However, he adds, allow us to stress an example that demonstrates species conservation becomes prohibitively expensive when we wait too long before acting to conserve species. The Mexican Government is currently spending in excess of US$18million to save one small cetacean species, the Vaquita, to prevent its extinction. Looking at the budget in front of us, we are extremely concerned therefore, as it includes just €170.000 for conservation projects over the next triennium for all migratory species. WDCS reiterates our appreciation of voluntary funds contributed by Parties, especially Germany, but we urge Parties to reflect on the current budget and the pressures we especially impose on developing countries, leaving them unable to take forward effective and needed conservation action. Thank you, Chair.

A little later, as the progress on resolutions is reported by the people who have been chairing the various working groups, WDCS intervenes again on the report from the Marine Working Group:

"WDCS congratulates the chairmen and the working group on their hard word; and is sorry that he has to make the comments that he has to. The noise resolution was always going to be a difficult one to conclude, but the changes that have been made to the resolution now on the floor are substantive and not simply editorial as had been suggested they would be last night.

WDCS finds the resolution weak and convoluted anyway but was able to take some comfort from some reference to precautionary action – a reference which has disappeared over night.""

The Chairman says that there will be the opportunity to look at this again.

Norway now makes a general comment about the need to work more closely with FAO and CITES especially with regard to proposals to list marine species and he suggests some language that can be included in the marine species resolution.

Costa Rica for the Latin America block is concerned about the inclusion of shark species; the scientific council must provide independent scientific advice he says (implying presumably that they are not). The scientific councilors present (a line of distinguished men with grey beards) say nothing.

The Chairman offers his view – he agrees that the Scientific Council must give advice; we have to consider the limits and difficulties for them – we need to act before it is too late he says (quoting something said by WDCS earlier) and the council must be able to raises problems when it seems them; and it has problems with funds and resources.

Further resolutions come forward and there are proposals concerning the resolution for new agreements to include some language on elephants.

Rather curiously, Alison Wood of WDCS is waving the WDCS flag and asking to speak. What is going on? Surely WDCS is not going to intervene on these animals. (She is still waving.) Bill Perrin (marine mammal expert) and Monaco are waving too. More elephants follow. Sorry more discussion on elephants follow.

Bill Perrin is finally given the floor. He exlains that in the scientific council they discussed the development of a new SE Asia agreement for marine mammals and they agreed that it should be expanded to include all cetaceans.

Ah, we see now WDCS, Bill and Monaco wish to comment on the Agreement resolutions, not the elephant initiative. WDCS is not invited to speak but Monaco does and he supports the amendment to the resolution to remove the word small… which means the new agreement can be initiated for all cetaceans.

Good says the Chair and we pause for another signing ceremony.

Then we come to the climate change resolution and there is much discussion, despite several meetings of a working group. Several Latin America countries have problems with the inclusion of clauses related to ‘mitigation’. Some suggest that this is not appropriate as it goes outside of the mandate of the migratory species convention.

An impassioned plea from WWF follows. Their spokesman explains that the ‘mitigation’ being called for relates exclusively to actions for the animals concerned. Will her arguments prevail? We shall see but that clock really is ticking loudly now as we break for lunch.