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Richard Cadell, PhD, from Swansea University in the United Kingdom,
will deliver a paper entitled "Marine Mammals, Indigenous Hunting and the
Limits of Self-determination". It is one in a series of seminars
"Inimkond/Humankind - Current Issues in Anthropology and Beyond" which are
held every fortnight on Wednesdays. This seminar will be held in auditorium
N315 (Tallinn University Nova building) on Wednesday, 5 December from
18:00-20:00.Abstract:Widespread popular support has been expressed for the
protection of the cultural and spiritual practices of indigenous peoples
and the need to promote and safeguard their traditional way of life. While
multiple legal instruments have been established to promote these
objectives, the implementation of these principles has often proved
complicated in practice. This is especially true where the fundamental
issues of indigenous culture conflict with Western viewpoints on the use of
natural resources. A particular case in point relates to the taking of
marine mammals by traditional subsistence users, primarily by the Inuit and
other minority groups in coastal areas. While a degree of sympathy is
expressed for the subsistence needs of peoples in harsh and isolated
locations, popular Western opinion remains strongly opposed to the hunting
of particular species, such as whales and seals, which have become totemic
to the global environmental movement.This paper explores the vexing
question of accommodating indigenous needs in respect of marine mammals
through a variety of international institutions. The paper also examines
the ban on seal products by the EU and the impact of this policy on
Greenland’s interests. The converse is also demonstrated in the paper
using case studies of the North Atlantic Marine Mammal Commission, the
Arctic Council, Pacific Islands initiatives and bilateral arrangements
between Greenland and Canada concerning stocks of Beluga whales. In such
cases, where indigenous communities are included in negotiations and given
clear responsibilities of animal husbandry, they have consistently played a
significant role in the conservation of stocks and the promotion of
scientific knowledge. The paper concludes by outlining how these
arrangements may be accommodated in modern international law, including
suggestions for reforming key processes within leading institutions for the
conservation and management of marine mammals.Dr Richard Caddell is a
lecturer in Law at Swansea University, where he specialises in Law of the
Sea, international environmental law and wildlife management. He is
currently preparing a monograph on "The international regulation of
whaling" and has written widely on marine mammal conservation and the
course of international environmental negotiations. He has acted as a legal
advisor for Greenland; he has also advised UNEP on marine mammal policy
for the North Atlantic Marine Mammal Commission and the Convention on
the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals. He has also acted as
an advisor to a number of national governments and NGOs.The series of
seminars "Inimkond/Humankind. Current Issues in Anthropology and Beyond"
features speakers from anthropology and related fields, and fosters
discussion of their research with an interdisciplinary audience. It aims to
contribute to the culture of academic scholarship and debate at Tallinn
University. Speakers include local researchers as well as guests from a
variety of background disciplines including those with different
interpretations of anthropological theory and methodology. Presentations in
the seminar series will be of particular interest to staff and students in
anthropology, cultural theory, sociology, and history.For further
information about the seminar series, please contact:Franz KrauseE-mail:
franz.krause@tlu.ee