Japan In Commercial Whaling Push

[Guest guest]

Pro-whaling countries are meeting in Tokyo to plot a path towards

lifting the moratorium on commercial whaling.

 

Japan says the International Whaling Commission (IWC) is too

concerned with conservation, and wants it to resume its initial job

of regulating hunting.

 

Anti-whaling countries such as Britain and Australia are staying

away.

 

The three-day meeting convenes against the backdrop of clashes in the

Antarctic between Japanese whaling ships and conservation groups.

 

The world has changed, our perception of the relationship between

humans and whales has changed

 

Remi Parmentier

Varda Group

They are protesting against Japan's whaling programme in the Southern

Ocean, which is conducted under IWC rules permitting hunting for

scientific purposes.

 

A collision between the Kaiko Maru and the Farley Mowat, operated by

the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, saw the Japanese vessel damage

its propeller, with some reports suggesting it may have to return to

port.

 

Unsustainable divisions

 

In recent years, annual meetings of the IWC have become as stormy as

the Southern Ocean itself.

 

The anti-whaling bloc held a clear majority until last year's meeting

in St Kitts, which saw pro-whalers - or " pro-sustainable use

countries " as they like to be known - command a majority of one on a

vote endorsing the eventual lifting of the 21-year global moratorium

on commercial hunting.

 

 

Meat from Japan's scientific whaling programme is sold for food

But actually lifting the moratorium would require a majority of three-

quarters, and that is probably unachievable.

 

Japan has called this week's meeting to " discuss and put forward

specific measures to resume the function of the IWC as a resource

management organisation. "

 

Japan calls the process of returning the IWC to its original

purpose " normalisation " . The national Fisheries Agency has indicated

it may leave the IWC if it cannot achieve this goal.

 

All IWC members were invited to the Tokyo meeting, but many which

support the moratorium will not be attending.

 

" The IWC is the only body mandated to discuss issues relating to the

conservation and management of whales, and as such the UK believes it

is the only recognised forum in which to hold these discussions, "

said a spokesman for the UK's Department for Environment, Food and

Rural Affairs (Defra).

 

" We are grateful to Japan for trying to further discussions on issues

of division in the IWC; however we believe this initiative may serve

to further polarise and distract members from the IWC's important

conservation work. "

 

THE LEGALITIES OF WHALING

Objection - A country formally objects to the IWC moratorium,

declaring itself exempt

Scientific - A nation issues unilateral 'scientific permits'; any IWC

member can do this

Aboriginal - IWC grants permits to indigenous groups for subsistence

food

Two weeks ago the British government launched a brochure aimed at

recruiting anti-whaling countries onto the Commission.

 

Conservation and environment groups would agree that the IWC is

hopelessly polarised, but would disagree with Japan's contention that

a return to commercial whaling is merited.

 

" The ocean has changed, the world has changed, our perception of the

relationship between humans and whales has changed, " commented Remi

Parmentier of the Varda Group, an adviser to the Pew Charitable

Trusts.

 

" We wish that together we could look to the future rather than to the

past. "