Bitter debate over permits for whaling by indigenous peoples pitted Japan against the US on Wednesday, the third day of the International Whaling Commission meeting in Shimonoseki.
On Thursday, applications by the US and Russia to renew aboriginal hunting permits were rejected – the first time aboriginal hunting permits have been refused by the IWC. Alaskan Inupiat had been allowed to kill 56 endangered bowhead whales each year.
Japan and its pro-whaling allies led the debate against renewing the permits. “The bowhead is still considered by IWC scientists as endangered,” said Japanese IWC commissioner Masayuki Komatsu. “Yet, every year the US votes against Japan’s small-type coastal whalers’ request for a relief quota of 50 minke whales from the abundant western North Pacific stock. This hypocrisy could no longer continue.”
Greenpeace campaigner Richard Page says: “This is a cynical move by the government of Japan. The IWC rightly sees Japan’s request for a coastal whaling as pure commercial whaling and has denied its request for 14 years running.”
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The stand-off between pro- and anti-whaling nations has resulted in another IWC stalemate. Two new whale sanctuaries have been blocked, for the third year running. Iceland’s bid to rejoin the IWC, while ignoring its 1986 ban on commercial whaling, was also rejected, for the second year in a row.
On Tuesday, Japan abandoned a proposal to end an existing whale sanctuary in the Indian Ocean, claiming discussions were a waste of time.
Endangered species
Anti-whaling nations, led by Australia, New Zealand, the UK and US, have criticised Japan for planning to add 50 endangered sei whales to its annual “scientific” hunt. Unlimited whaling for scientific research is permitted by the IWC.
The IWC is committed to developing a Revised Management Scheme – a set of rules governing commercial whaling. Anti-whaling and pro-whaling nations have yet to agree on the detail of an RMS.
“The UK and like-minded nations do not want to see a return to commercial whaling, but we have to be prepared for the fact that this could happen in the future if the IWC voted to overturn the moratorium. It is therefore vital that a robust RMS is put in place to protect whales from over-exploitation,” said UK fisheries minister Elliott Morley at the meeting on Wednesday.
Read the label
But Morley also told delegates that packages of minke whale labelled as having come from Greenland were on sale in Nagasaki, Japan. Limited aboriginal whaling is permitted in Greenland – but that meat is not allowed to be sold.
The discovery throws into doubt the ability of Japan to properly police any RMS, Morley claimed.
Two different proposals for Revised Management Schemes are being presented at this year’s IWC. The first, by Japan is not expected to achieve the three quarters majority it would need to be passed. But if the second, proposed by anti-whaling countries, is accepted, these countries could find their efforts heralding the return to commercial whaling.
