Diplomatic protest issued against Japanese whaling

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Last Updated: Tuesday, January 17, 2006 20:52:22

Vietnam (GMT+07)

 

Diplomatic protest issued against Japanese whaling

 

Australia, Britain, Brazil, France and Germany were

among 17 countries which this week called on Japan to

halt to its Antarctic whaling program.

" The fact that 17 countries supported this

representation, shows how important this issue is, and

the depth of feeling around the world, " British

fisheries minister Ben Bradshaw said in a statement.

 

A written statement calling on Japan to " cease all its

lethal scientific research on whales " was delivered to

Japan's foreign ministry on Monday and farm ministry

on Tuesday.

 

Japan abandoned commercial whaling in 1986, in line

with an international moratorium, but began catching

whales again the following year for what it calls

scientific research.

 

Critics say the whale meat goes to up-market Japanese

restaurants.

 

" We urge Japan to reconsider its positions and end

this unjustified and unnecessary slaughter which is

regarded by many countries as a means to by-pass the

IWC (International Whaling Commission) moratorium, "

Bradshaw said.

 

Japan's whaling program includes fin and humpback

whales, both of which are on the World Conservation

Union's list of threatened species. Most of the whales

killed are minke.

 

Other signatories of the statement were Argentina,

Austria, Belgium, Finland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,

Mexico, New Zealand, Portugal, Spain and Sweden.

 

Australia on Monday had called on Japanese whalers and

environmental group Greenpeace to calm down following

life-threatening confrontations between then. In the

latest incident, on Saturday, a harpoon fired at a

minke whale narrowly missed a protest boat.

 

Source: Reuters