Japan whaling officials begin campaign to resume whaling

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http://enn.com/news/wire-stories/2002/02/02062002/ap_46313.asp

 

 

Wednesday, February 06, 2002

By Mari Yamaguchi, Associated Press

 

TOKYO - Japanese officials launched a campaign Tuesday

to resume commercial whaling, vowing to end a 15-year

ban on whale hunts at an international meeting here

this spring.

 

Minoru Morimoto, a government representative to the

International Whaling Commission, said the April

meeting of the IWC would an appropriate time to remove

the ban on commercial whale hunts. " We want to end the

moratorium, " Morimoto said. " It would be a perfect

chance to let the public know the truth about

whaling. "

 

An IWC conference in London ended in July without a

vote on whether to overturn the moritorium, which the

IWC implemented in the late 1980s to protect

endangered whale populations.

 

The next month-long IWC meeting is slated to begin on

April 25 in Japan's southwestern port city of

Shimonoseki, where ships departed in May and June for

the nation's latest research whale hunt in the

northwest Pacific. Japan conducts research hunts twice

a year under an IWC program that allows limited

catches for scientific research on feeding habits and

migration patterns.

 

Japan, Norway, and other pro-whaling nations argue

that whale stocks are strong enough in many regions to

withstand limited hunts. Japanese officials say the

growing whale population is harming fishing. " We're

only proposing sustainable use of resources, " Morimoto

said. " Total ban, at this point, is irrational. "

 

Japanese officials plan to conclude a framework to

maintain sustainable marine resources, hoping to open

the door to the resumption of commercial whaling.

Morimoto said Japan will also push for limited coastal

whaling to allow Japanese fishers to catch smaller

minke whales and promote membership fee cuts for

developing countries to attract politically neutral

members.

 

Critics say Japan's research program is merely a cover

for supplying restaurants with whale meat, a delicacy

in Japan. Meat from the hunts is sold to restaurants

to finance subsequent expeditions.

 

Japanese officials on Tuesday distributed leaflets

promoting whale eating, and organizers are planning

various events nationwide to promote whaling ahead of

the IWC meeting. A brochure titled " Let's Cook "

provided recipes for whale tempura and whale soup,

with color photos. " Delicious whales; eat them

properly, " it said.

 

Japan catches about 400 whales annually under its

research program. About 2,000 tons of whale meat are

marketed.

 

" In antiwhaling countries like the United States,

millions of deer are killed every year, and kangaroo

steak is served at restaurants in Australia, " said

Keiichi Nakajima, president of Japan whaling

Association. " Why not whale meat? "

 

Copyright 2002, Associated Press

 

 

 

 

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