VZCZCXYZ0019
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHPO #0170 1591929
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 081929Z JUN 09
FM AMEMBASSY PARAMARIBO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0731
INFO RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC PRIORITY

UNCLAS PARAMARIBO 000170 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR WHA/CAR JROSHOLT 
OES/OPA FOR LPHELPS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EFIS KSCA PREL SENV IWC NS
SUBJECT: SURINAME: THE ROAD AHEAD FOR THE INTERNATIONAL 
WHALING COMMISSION 
 
REF: STATE 57020 
 
¶1. (SBU) As requested in Reftel, on June 8 Poloff met with 
Suriname's International Whaling Commission (IWC) 
Commissioner, Mr. Jaswant Sahtoe, a public servant at the 
Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, and Fisheries. 
Mr. Sahtoe indicated that although he was not in a position 
to state his view on whether the "Future of the International 
Whaling Commission" ("Future") meetings should be extended 
for another year, he thought that having a smaller working 
party had its advantages.  He said he was hopeful that the 
"Future" process would formulate guidelines that are 
workable, because right now the IWC is not functioning. 
 
¶2. (SBU) When asked his position on having observers at the 
"Future Meetings," he said it was his understanding this was 
already the case.  Each country determines its group of 
advisors who may also attend the meetings, and in the past 
these advisors have included representatives of 
nongovernmental organizations.  He said there was also 
precedent for the comments of nongovernmental advisors being 
shared at the meeting.  He said participation in the "Future" 
process should be open to all members of the IWC. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Sahtoe asked Poloff about the future of the current 
U.S. Commissioner, and Chair of the IWC, Dr. Bill Hogarth. 
Noting that the position is held by a political appointee, he 
questioned Poloff on whether the new Obama administration 
would nominate Hogarth for another term.  Sahtoe said Hogarth 
is well-respected due to his good initiatives to bring the 
parties together, including the "Future" initiative.  Sahtoe 
cautioned that his support for Hogarth as Chair was based on 
Hogarth's personal ideas, not his nationality, and that he 
might not support a different U.S. Commissioner in the same 
way. 
 
¶4. (SBU) The IWC must solve the problem of managing whaling, 
even if it is only a temporary solution, Sahtoe opined.  He 
said science should be the basis of the IWC's decisions, and 
that the Scientific Commission should be providing the 
necessary information so that decisions could be made without 
taking the risk of destroying whale populations. To do this, 
more research, funding for research, and vessels, are 
necessary. 
SCHREIBER  HUGHES