Japanese whaling fleet sets sail for Antarctica

Japanese whaling fleet sets sail for Antarctica
Friday, 20 November 2009 11:03

LESS than a week after a visit to Japan by US President Obama, the Japanese whaling fleet has set sail for Antarctica.

At this point, little information is available about the number of whales intended to be hunted, raising the important question whether recent events, including the presidential visit, have had any impact on Japanese whaling policy.

President Obama made an election pledge to “work diligently to end Japan’s scientific whaling programme”, and the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (WDCS) recently called on the USA to take the opportunity of the President’s visit last week with Prime Minister Hatoyama to open a new dialogue with Japan about commercial whaling.

Closed door discussions between Japan, the US and other members of the International Whaling Commission will resume next month – a date presumably chosen to give Japan the opportunity to review its policy after the recent general election, and give the world a signal of its willingness, or not, to end commercial whaling. WDCS, like everyone else, is waiting with baited breath to see whether Japan has decided to show any sign to the US and the IWC that it will scale back its massive Antarctic hunt, or whether it will be business as usual for Japan’s factory whaling fleet this year.

Chris Butler-Stroud, Chief Executive of WDCS reacted to the news: “The departure of Japan’s Antarctic whaling fleet to continue whaling in the waters of the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary makes the entire negotiation process within the IWC a mockery. We urge the Members of the IWC to halt these discussions immediately, until the whaling nations have shown a serious commitment to abiding by international decisions. The whalers need to stop provoking the international community, and show some sign of good faith.”

In 2008, the Japanese fleet killed 551 minke whales in Antarctica, while in 2009 the figures jumped to a kill of 679 minke whales and one endangered fin whale. The increase in numbers has led to a glut of meat in the Japanese market; by the end of August 2009, some 5288 tons of whale meat was sitting in cold stores across Japan, a 16% rise in stockpiles compared to August of 2008.

Butler-Stroud continued, “Obviously, the Japanese neither need nor want to eat whale meat. The whaling fleet is costing the Japanese tax-payers money, and yielding nothing in return.”
Australian Prime Minister Rudd has already reacted to the announcement, and WDCS calls on other governments to take swift action, and to let PM Hatoyama know that the world community wants an absolute end to Japan’s scientific whaling.

Sources:
www.fishnewseu.com/latest-news/world/2322-japanese-whalin...

www.wdcs.org/

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