Japan loses two early key votes at whaling commission meeting

[Guest guest]

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20060618a2.html

 

Sunday, June 18, 2006

 

Japan loses two early key votes at whaling commission

meeting

 

FRIGATE BAY, St. Kitts (AP) Prowhaling nations led by

Japan lost two key votes Friday at the International

Whaling Commission's annual meeting -- an indication

they may not have the majority necessary to take

control of the body and try to repeal its ban on

commercial hunting.

 

In the first vote, Japan sought to remove the issue of

hunting dolphins and porpoises from the agenda of the

70-member IWC but failed by a 32-30 vote.

 

In the second vote, Japan lost its bid to introduce

secret ballots, something the group has never done for

major initiatives in its 60-year history, officials

said. The resolution failed 33-30, with the Solomon

Islands -- which usually sides with Japan --

abstaining.

 

Belize, a small Central American country that has

received aid from Japan and had been expected to

support it on the whaling commission, voted against it

in both votes.

 

New Zealand Conservation Minister Chris Carter

described the defeat of the secret ballot resolution

as a major win for antiwhaling nations.

 

" Secret deals, secret voting -- such methods are tools

to hide unpleasant facts from one's own people, "

Carter said after the vote.

 

Patrick Ramage, spokesman for the International Fund

for Animal Welfare, said, " Both whales and democratic

principles have dodged a harpoon again this year at

the IWC. "

 

But Joji Morishita, head of the Japanese delegation,

downplayed the defeat and said gaining a majority for

the secret ballot initiative was not a pivotal issue

at this year's meeting.

 

" There are some countries missing, so it doesn't mean

we wouldn't have the support next year, " he said,

referring to prowhaling nations Guatemala and Senegal,

which did not show up for the conference.

 

Morishita said secret ballots were needed to protect

countries from those that disagree with their votes.

 

" Some delegates from smaller nations have had to

change hotels every few days following harassment by

protesters, " Morishita said as he introduced the

unsuccessful initiative.

 

Before the annual meeting started, Japan and other

prowhaling nations were expected to form a majority in

the commission for the first time since a 1986 ban on

commercial whaling. The prowhaling nations need a 75

percent majority to repeal the ban, but a simple

majority would allow them to have more influence over

future commission decisions.

 

A shift to a prowhaling majority would have come after

years of lobbying by Japan to get developing nations

to join the whaling commission. Some attendees said

prowhaling nations may still win some victories.

 

The Japan Times

© All rights reserved