Earth Protect Blog

by Richard Black

The Australian minister for sustainability, environment, water, population and communities is due in Panama City for a couple of days to bang the drum for what has been his country's favourite environmental cause - whaling.

But it might be a visit that no-one notices.

When I covered my first International Whaling Commission (IWC) meeting back in 2005, Australian journalists were the second biggest posse in the press room (after the Japanese), and certainly the most entertaining.

Then, ministers such as Ian Campbell (who subsequently went on to join the advisory board of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society) and Peter Garrett could denounce Japan's whaling "slaughter" from one end of the conference hall to the other, confident that a TV camera would forever be on hand to bring his judgement to the folks back home - not, one sensed, that they needed any convincing.

This year, not a single Aussie camera crew nor even a humble smith of the written word will be there to record Mr Burke, should he similarly declaim.

As I write these words, I'm sitting on a raised rostrum at the back of the main hall here that's been set up for TV crews - power outlets, audio feeds and all.

But I have it to myself.

In recent years, Australia has been the touchstone for public interest in whaling.

The country has pretences to own a giant slice of the Southern Ocean, it has a thriving whalewatching industry, and the zeal of a recently reformed smoker, having quit the harpoon itself only in 1979.

A quick Google News search in advance of this year's meeting for "Australia + IWC" turned up not a single article, and it's far from being the only country where there's a dearth.

So what's happened?

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