Japan Today: New Zealand opposes Japan's plan to expand research whaling

April 14, 2005

AAPN,

Jeff Bryant (mikocat3) thought you would be interested in this article:

New Zealand opposes Japan's plan to expand research whaling

Thursday, April 14, 2005 at 14:27 JST

WELLINGTON - New Zealand is to oppose Japan's plans to expand its research

whaling catch in the Antarctic Ocean, a spokesman for Conservation Minister

Chris Carter said Thursday.

Reports this week have said the Japanese government intends to expand its scope

of research whaling in the Antarctic Ocean to humpback and fin whales from late

this year, as well as nearly double its catch of minke whales.

It is understood Japan intends to put its new plan to the annual meeting of the

International Whaling Commission (IWC) in South Korea from May 30.

Carter hoped to attend the IWC meeting and express New Zealand's disagreement to

the Japanese plan.

" The blindingly obvious point is you don't have to kill whales to study them, "

the spokesman said.

The whales Japan would hunt as part of their increased catch were the same

whales that played an important part in New Zealand's tourism industry through

ventures such as whale watching.

Japan halted commercial whaling in line with a 1986 IWC moratorium, but has been

hunting whales since 1987 for what it calls scientific research purposes.

Humpback and fin whales, which have decreased in number due to past commercial

hunting, are classified as endangered on the World Conservation Union's Red List

of Threatened Species.

Under the envisioned plan, Japan will initially catch about 10 humpback and fin

whales, respectively, and gradually increase its target.

As for minke whales, it intends to sharply increase its annual catch, which

currently stands at 440 a year.

The World Society for the Protection of Animals said it opposed the Japanese

move. (Wire reports)

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