Posted on 23-4-2002

FourWeeks to Commercial Whaling?

Wellington, April 23, 2002
-In four weeks, the fate of the world’s whales will
be decided at the International Whaling Commission (IWC) with the
pro-whaling group likely to get a majority vote.


To highlight their plight, Greenpeace today presented the Japanese
Ambassador to New Zealand a petition signed by marine and cetacean
biologists from around the world, calling on the Japanese Government to
end “scientific” whaling, as well as delivering replica whale meat boxes
representing the hypocrisy of Japanese “scientific” whaling. “Whales
hunted in the name of science are destined for the tables of restaurants
and the shelves of supermarkets as a delicacy, despite a diminishing
market in Japan,” said Greenpeace Oceans Campaigner, Pia Mancia. “Make
no mistake, scientific whaling is commercial whaling in disguise.”


Greenpeace is concerned that the Government of Japan cannot control its
Fisheries Agency, which is intent on a resumption of commercial whaling
despite the fact whales have still to recover from the previous
decimation of whale populations. “The Japanese Fisheries Agency is out of
control and Greenpeace is asking the Government of Japan to reign them
in.” To counteract a decrease in whale meat consumption in Japan the
Fisheries Agency has launched a high profile public relations campaign,
handing out free whale meat samples and promoting reasons why people
should eat whale.


Last year a Fisheries Agency senior official admitted some nations have
sold their vote at IWC in return for foreign aid from Japan. Should the
Fisheries Agency succeed in gaining a voting majority they will be able
to expand their present whaling activities and overturn the moratorium
on commercial whaling, a return to factory ship whaling of the kind that
decimated whale populations in the past (4); overturn the Indian Ocean
whale sanctuary, and restart commercial trade with Norway and other
countries which may also decide to restart whaling.


New Zealand was one of 14 countries worldwide raising awareness to the
underhanded tactic that the Japanese Fishery Agency is using to force a
resume of commercial whaling.