Japan lashes out against international criticism over whale hunt

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Japan lashes out against international criticism over

whale hunt

 

Wednesday, November 14, 2001

By Associated Press

 

TOKYO — Japan defended its whale hunt in Antarctica

against condemnation from the United States and New

Zealand, insisting Tuesday that the hunt is making a

valuable contribution to science.

 

Both the U.S. State Department and the New Zealand

government have criticized the Japanese expedition to

take 440 Southern Hemisphere minke whales that left

for Antarctic waters early this month.

 

Washington expressed concern that whale populations

have declined drastically over the past decade. New

Zealand called the hunt " despicable. "

 

In comments released Tuesday, Seiji Ohsumi, the

director general of Japan's Institute of Cetacean

Research said the criticism is groundless. " The

statements from the U.S. and New Zealand are political

statements, but our research is about science, and

there is no question that the program is producing

valuable scientific information, " Ohsumi said.

 

An international ban on commercial whaling has been in

place for the last two decades. But Japan's whale hunt

is allowed by the International Whaling Commission as

scientific research.

 

Japan says its hunts provide information on whale

feeding habits and migration patterns. Critics say the

program is merely a cover for supplying restaurants

with whale meat, a delicacy in Japan.

 

Japan conducts research hunts twice a year. Its last

research expedition was in the northwest Pacific in

May and June.

 

Copyright 2001, Associated Press

 

 

 

 

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