8/6/2019 Costa Rica Reloaded How a Developing Country Returned
to the IWC Keto
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Costa Rica Reloaded: How a developing country returned to
the IWC
Aimee Leslie 1,3 and Damin Martnez-Fernndez 2,3
(1)International Fund for Animal WelfareIFAW Tecoyititla No.
274, Col. FloridaMexico D.F.(2) Fundacin KETO 1735-1002 San Jos,
Costa Rica(3) Coalicin Costarricense por las Ballenas
[email protected]
The International Whaling Commission (IWC) is the only entity
that has
authority over whale management and conservation worldwide.
Costa Rica became a
member of the IWC in 1981, but stopped being an active
participant a short timethereafter. In 1989, Costa Rica lost its
voting rights due to unpaid debts. This situation
continued until 2006, when in the 58th reunion of the IWC, in
Saint Kitts and Nevis, the
pro-whaling group were able to create a declaration that defied
the moratorium, by the
difference of only one vote. That is how an opposition movement
was born in Costa
Rica. By the end of 2006, Greenpeace called on nine local NGOs
and four
international ones, to form the Costarican Coalition for Whales.
The primary objective
of this group was to reinforce the need for the country to
reactivate their participation in
the IWC and stop the motion to reopen whale hunting. In the two
first months, the
Coalition worked intensely, forming three subgroups: one in
charge of politics, another
of press and one for public activities. In this way, the
Coalition gained public attention
through demonstrations, press conferences and releases,
concerts, a campaign websiteand any media coverage possible. The
group no only revealed the Costa Rican
governments lack of action, but it also went into governmental
lobby. Through
different lobbying instances, the Coalition presented a proposal
that supported the social
and scientific importance and viability to return of the IWC.
The goal of the Coalition
was reached much sooner than expected. On February 15th 2007,
the government
announced, through the Environmental Minister, that they would
regain voting rights
for the next IWC meeting. The government has also assumed the
responsibility of
canceling the total debt acquired with the IWC, and is currently
participating in the 59th
meeting in Alaska.
Leslie, A. & Martnez-Fernndez, D. 2007. Costa Rica Reloaded
How a third world
country returned to the IWC. 17th Biennial Conference on the
Biology of Marine
Mammals, Cape Town South Africa
