Post by Flash on Dec 28, 2007 13:22:04 GMT -5
Saving humpbacks to kill other whales
* Gunboat diplomacy rules seas
A BACKROOM deal designed to restore Japan's right to commercial whaling is behind its decision to spare humpback whales from its Antarctic hunt.
Japan's Minister for Foreign Affairs, Masahiko Koumura, has detailed a bargain with the US chairman of the International Whaling Commission to "review" the contentious kill of humpbacks from Australian stocks.
Mr Koumura said Japan agreed with a US request to postpone the catch while the deadlocked 78-nation commission keeps moving towards "normalisation".
Japan wants to "normalise" the organisation by returning to its 1946 purpose of regulating whaling, and lifting the global moratorium against the industry, said Japan's deputy whaling commissioner, Joji Morishita.
Whaling's opponents say the humpbacks are now being held hostage to this aim. Japan's decision to remove humpbacks from its scheduled 1000 whale "scientific research" kill, for now, was flagged by the US ambassador to Tokyo, Thomas Schieffer, shortly before it was announced last week. It followed a determined Australian-led public campaign against hunting the whales, known for their spectacular aerobatics and confiding nature around boats.
At the time, Japanese officials pointed to Australian public concerns as a reason for their decision. But the terms of the deal were detailed by Mr Koumura after he spoke to the Australian Foreign Affairs Minister, Stephen Smith, and were posted recently in English on the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs website.
Mr Koumura said the chairman of the international commission, a US fisheries official, William Hogarth, told him it was not functioning effectively.
"He is seeking to remedy this situation, for which he asks for the co-operation of Japan, currently the vice-chair of the IWC," Mr Koumura said. "Mr Hogarth requested that Japan reviewed its plan to catch humpback whales while such a reform is going on."
Mr Koumura said that, as the current vice-chair, Japan would co-operate with this reform. "Japan has decided to postpone its catch of this species while the IWC is judged to move towards normalisation of its activities."
He said Mr Hogarth believed the review of the commission would last one to two years, and if no progress was made, the situation would change for Japan.
The International Fund for Animal Welfare said it was clear the humpbacks were being held as a bargaining chip by Japan.
"The Government of Japan is saying: 'Give us what we want or the humpback gets it'," said Darren Kindleysides, the fund's Asia-Pacific campaigner.
Successive chairs have tried to reform the commission in recent years. Mr Hogarth's attempt has its next test at a closed meeting in London from March 6-8.
Australia opposes any whaling, except some indigenous hunts. The Rudd Government's mission to monitor Japan's fleet by aircraft and ship is going ahead regardless of the humpback decision. It will gather evidence for international legal action, while Greenpeace and Sea Shepherd ships are heading south to find the fleet.
smh
* Gunboat diplomacy rules seas
A BACKROOM deal designed to restore Japan's right to commercial whaling is behind its decision to spare humpback whales from its Antarctic hunt.
Japan's Minister for Foreign Affairs, Masahiko Koumura, has detailed a bargain with the US chairman of the International Whaling Commission to "review" the contentious kill of humpbacks from Australian stocks.
Mr Koumura said Japan agreed with a US request to postpone the catch while the deadlocked 78-nation commission keeps moving towards "normalisation".
Japan wants to "normalise" the organisation by returning to its 1946 purpose of regulating whaling, and lifting the global moratorium against the industry, said Japan's deputy whaling commissioner, Joji Morishita.
Whaling's opponents say the humpbacks are now being held hostage to this aim. Japan's decision to remove humpbacks from its scheduled 1000 whale "scientific research" kill, for now, was flagged by the US ambassador to Tokyo, Thomas Schieffer, shortly before it was announced last week. It followed a determined Australian-led public campaign against hunting the whales, known for their spectacular aerobatics and confiding nature around boats.
At the time, Japanese officials pointed to Australian public concerns as a reason for their decision. But the terms of the deal were detailed by Mr Koumura after he spoke to the Australian Foreign Affairs Minister, Stephen Smith, and were posted recently in English on the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs website.
Mr Koumura said the chairman of the international commission, a US fisheries official, William Hogarth, told him it was not functioning effectively.
"He is seeking to remedy this situation, for which he asks for the co-operation of Japan, currently the vice-chair of the IWC," Mr Koumura said. "Mr Hogarth requested that Japan reviewed its plan to catch humpback whales while such a reform is going on."
Mr Koumura said that, as the current vice-chair, Japan would co-operate with this reform. "Japan has decided to postpone its catch of this species while the IWC is judged to move towards normalisation of its activities."
He said Mr Hogarth believed the review of the commission would last one to two years, and if no progress was made, the situation would change for Japan.
The International Fund for Animal Welfare said it was clear the humpbacks were being held as a bargaining chip by Japan.
"The Government of Japan is saying: 'Give us what we want or the humpback gets it'," said Darren Kindleysides, the fund's Asia-Pacific campaigner.
Successive chairs have tried to reform the commission in recent years. Mr Hogarth's attempt has its next test at a closed meeting in London from March 6-8.
Australia opposes any whaling, except some indigenous hunts. The Rudd Government's mission to monitor Japan's fleet by aircraft and ship is going ahead regardless of the humpback decision. It will gather evidence for international legal action, while Greenpeace and Sea Shepherd ships are heading south to find the fleet.
smh