WhaleKillers
Jun 20, 2006, 16:35
Japan has welcomed the first vote for two decades in support of commercial whaling as a "huge" step and vowed to press on to resume hunting, leading New Zealand to warn that whales were no longer safe.
.
Pro-whaling nations led by Japan passed a non-binding resolution at the International Whaling Commission by a one-vote margin that branded a 20-year ban on commercial whaling "no longer necessary."
.
Hideki Moronuki, head of the whaling section of Japan's Fisheries Agency, cautioned against exaggerating the impact of the vote held in the West Indies.
.
"It is too fast to claim that the moratorium has been eliminated," he said Monday.
.
"Of course, if the moratorium were truly eliminated, we would be overjoyed. But for that to happen, it will still take a bit more time.
.
"We have simply taken a huge step towards normalizing the International Whaling Commission. This is only a preamble to what we hope would be a complete restoration of the commission so that it can do its job correctly under international standards."
.
Farm minister Shoichi Nakagawa said the vote showed that the opponents of whaling were now outnumbered by "voices calling for a normalization of whale resource management."
.
"Our country will continue doing our best for the resumption of sustainable whaling based on scientific data."
.
Japan wants the International Whaling Commission to manage whale stocks for commercial hunting, a notion scoffed at by Western environmentalists who say the mammals remain at risk.
.
Securing a permanent majority on the IWC would allow Tokyo to control its agenda for the first time since a moratorium was introduced and, environmentalists fear, let Tokyo hinder conservation efforts.
.
Prime Minister Helen Clark of New Zealand, one of the major opponents of Japanese whaling which is partially in Antarctic waters, said that Tokyo was damaging its international reputation.
.
She repeated charges that Japan had used its foreign aid to win the votes of small countries on the commission which have no history of whaling.
.
"It does mean we cannot count on whales being safe for the future," Clark said.
.
"When you can't shift the stocks of whalemeat off the shelves in supermarkets of Japan, it's not a tenable position when you have to in effect apply very large amounts of money to get support," she said.
.
Environmentalists point to a glut of whale on Japanese markets as proof that the country does not need the meat. A new Japanese government-backed company was formed this year with plans to sell cheaper whalemeat to schools, bars and hospitals in hopes that more people will develop a taste for it.
.
Whalemeat has a sentimental association for many Japanese as it helped feed the nation when it was on the verge of famine after defeat in World War II.
.
Japan argues that whalemeat is part of its culture and urges Western nations to respect its traditions.
.
Japan officially abides by the 1986 moratorium but kills whales under a loophole that allows "research" while sending the meat on the market.
.
Iceland also carries out "research" whaling while Norway ignores the moratorium altogether. Around 2,000 whales are taken every year by the three nations.
.
At last year's commission meeting in South Korea, Japan doubled its annual kill to about 850 minke whales and extended the hunt to other species considered to be endangered. — AFP Japan has welcomed the first vote for two decades in support of commercial whaling as a "huge" step and vowed to press on to resume hunting, leading New Zealand to warn that whales were no longer safe.
.
Pro-whaling nations led by Japan passed a non-binding resolution at the International Whaling Commission by a one-vote margin that branded a 20-year ban on commercial whaling "no longer necessary."
.
Hideki Moronuki, head of the whaling section of Japan's Fisheries Agency, cautioned against exaggerating the impact of the vote held in the West Indies.
.
"It is too fast to claim that the moratorium has been eliminated," he said Monday.
.
"Of course, if the moratorium were truly eliminated, we would be overjoyed. But for that to happen, it will still take a bit more time.
.
"We have simply taken a huge step towards normalizing the International Whaling Commission. This is only a preamble to what we hope would be a complete restoration of the commission so that it can do its job correctly under international standards."
.
Farm minister Shoichi Nakagawa said the vote showed that the opponents of whaling were now outnumbered by "voices calling for a normalization of whale resource management."
.
"Our country will continue doing our best for the resumption of sustainable whaling based on scientific data."
.
Japan wants the International Whaling Commission to manage whale stocks for commercial hunting, a notion scoffed at by Western environmentalists who say the mammals remain at risk.
.
Securing a permanent majority on the IWC would allow Tokyo to control its agenda for the first time since a moratorium was introduced and, environmentalists fear, let Tokyo hinder conservation efforts.
.
Prime Minister Helen Clark of New Zealand, one of the major opponents of Japanese whaling which is partially in Antarctic waters, said that Tokyo was damaging its international reputation.
.
She repeated charges that Japan had used its foreign aid to win the votes of small countries on the commission which have no history of whaling.
.
"It does mean we cannot count on whales being safe for the future," Clark said.
.
"When you can't shift the stocks of whalemeat off the shelves in supermarkets of Japan, it's not a tenable position when you have to in effect apply very large amounts of money to get support," she said.
.
Environmentalists point to a glut of whale on Japanese markets as proof that the country does not need the meat. A new Japanese government-backed company was formed this year with plans to sell cheaper whalemeat to schools, bars and hospitals in hopes that more people will develop a taste for it. -puke
.
Whalemeat has a sentimental association for many Japanese as it helped feed the nation when it was on the verge of famine after defeat in World War II.
.
Japan argues that whalemeat is part of its culture and urges Western nations to respect its traditions.
.
Japan officially abides by the 1986 moratorium but kills whales under a loophole that allows "research" while sending the meat on the market.
.
Iceland also carries out "research" whaling while Norway ignores the moratorium altogether. Around 2,000 whales are taken every year by the three nations.
.
At last year's commission meeting in South Korea, Japan doubled its annual kill to about 850 minke whales and extended the hunt to other species considered to be endangered. — AFP Japan has welcomed the first vote for two decades in support of commercial whaling as a "huge" step and vowed to press on to resume hunting, leading New Zealand to warn that whales were no longer safe.
.
Pro-whaling nations led by Japan passed a non-binding resolution at the International Whaling Commission by a one-vote margin that branded a 20-year ban on commercial whaling "no longer necessary."
.
Hideki Moronuki, head of the whaling section of Japan's Fisheries Agency, cautioned against exaggerating the impact of the vote held in the West Indies.
.
"It is too fast to claim that the moratorium has been eliminated," he said Monday.
.
"Of course, if the moratorium were truly eliminated, we would be overjoyed. But for that to happen, it will still take a bit more time.
.
"We have simply taken a huge step towards normalizing the International Whaling Commission. This is only a preamble to what we hope would be a complete restoration of the commission so that it can do its job correctly under international standards."
.
Farm minister Shoichi Nakagawa said the vote showed that the opponents of whaling were now outnumbered by "voices calling for a normalization of whale resource management."
.
"Our country will continue doing our best for the resumption of sustainable whaling based on scientific data."
.
Japan wants the International Whaling Commission to manage whale stocks for commercial hunting, a notion scoffed at by Western environmentalists who say the mammals remain at risk.
.
Securing a permanent majority on the IWC would allow Tokyo to control its agenda for the first time since a moratorium was introduced and, environmentalists fear, let Tokyo hinder conservation efforts.
.
Prime Minister Helen Clark of New Zealand, one of the major opponents of Japanese whaling which is partially in Antarctic waters, said that Tokyo was damaging its international reputation.
.
She repeated charges that Japan had used its foreign aid to win the votes of small countries on the commission which have no history of whaling.
.
"It does mean we cannot count on whales being safe for the future," Clark said.
.
"When you can't shift the stocks of whalemeat off the shelves in supermarkets of Japan, it's not a tenable position when you have to in effect apply very large amounts of money to get support," she said.
.
Environmentalists point to a glut of whale on Japanese markets as proof that the country does not need the meat. A new Japanese government-backed company was formed this year with plans to sell cheaper whalemeat to schools, bars and hospitals in hopes that more people will develop a taste for it.
.
Whalemeat has a sentimental association for many Japanese as it helped feed the nation when it was on the verge of famine after defeat in World War II.
.
Japan argues that whalemeat is part of its culture and urges Western nations to respect its traditions.
.
Japan officially abides by the 1986 moratorium but kills whales under a loophole that allows "research" while sending the meat on the market.
.
Iceland also carries out "research" whaling while Norway ignores the moratorium altogether. Around 2,000 whales are taken every year by the three nations.
.
At last year's commission meeting in South Korea, Japan doubled its annual kill to about 850 minke whales and extended the hunt to other species considered to be endangered. — AFP
http://www.todayonline.com/articles/125433.asp
.
Pro-whaling nations led by Japan passed a non-binding resolution at the International Whaling Commission by a one-vote margin that branded a 20-year ban on commercial whaling "no longer necessary."
.
Hideki Moronuki, head of the whaling section of Japan's Fisheries Agency, cautioned against exaggerating the impact of the vote held in the West Indies.
.
"It is too fast to claim that the moratorium has been eliminated," he said Monday.
.
"Of course, if the moratorium were truly eliminated, we would be overjoyed. But for that to happen, it will still take a bit more time.
.
"We have simply taken a huge step towards normalizing the International Whaling Commission. This is only a preamble to what we hope would be a complete restoration of the commission so that it can do its job correctly under international standards."
.
Farm minister Shoichi Nakagawa said the vote showed that the opponents of whaling were now outnumbered by "voices calling for a normalization of whale resource management."
.
"Our country will continue doing our best for the resumption of sustainable whaling based on scientific data."
.
Japan wants the International Whaling Commission to manage whale stocks for commercial hunting, a notion scoffed at by Western environmentalists who say the mammals remain at risk.
.
Securing a permanent majority on the IWC would allow Tokyo to control its agenda for the first time since a moratorium was introduced and, environmentalists fear, let Tokyo hinder conservation efforts.
.
Prime Minister Helen Clark of New Zealand, one of the major opponents of Japanese whaling which is partially in Antarctic waters, said that Tokyo was damaging its international reputation.
.
She repeated charges that Japan had used its foreign aid to win the votes of small countries on the commission which have no history of whaling.
.
"It does mean we cannot count on whales being safe for the future," Clark said.
.
"When you can't shift the stocks of whalemeat off the shelves in supermarkets of Japan, it's not a tenable position when you have to in effect apply very large amounts of money to get support," she said.
.
Environmentalists point to a glut of whale on Japanese markets as proof that the country does not need the meat. A new Japanese government-backed company was formed this year with plans to sell cheaper whalemeat to schools, bars and hospitals in hopes that more people will develop a taste for it.
.
Whalemeat has a sentimental association for many Japanese as it helped feed the nation when it was on the verge of famine after defeat in World War II.
.
Japan argues that whalemeat is part of its culture and urges Western nations to respect its traditions.
.
Japan officially abides by the 1986 moratorium but kills whales under a loophole that allows "research" while sending the meat on the market.
.
Iceland also carries out "research" whaling while Norway ignores the moratorium altogether. Around 2,000 whales are taken every year by the three nations.
.
At last year's commission meeting in South Korea, Japan doubled its annual kill to about 850 minke whales and extended the hunt to other species considered to be endangered. — AFP Japan has welcomed the first vote for two decades in support of commercial whaling as a "huge" step and vowed to press on to resume hunting, leading New Zealand to warn that whales were no longer safe.
.
Pro-whaling nations led by Japan passed a non-binding resolution at the International Whaling Commission by a one-vote margin that branded a 20-year ban on commercial whaling "no longer necessary."
.
Hideki Moronuki, head of the whaling section of Japan's Fisheries Agency, cautioned against exaggerating the impact of the vote held in the West Indies.
.
"It is too fast to claim that the moratorium has been eliminated," he said Monday.
.
"Of course, if the moratorium were truly eliminated, we would be overjoyed. But for that to happen, it will still take a bit more time.
.
"We have simply taken a huge step towards normalizing the International Whaling Commission. This is only a preamble to what we hope would be a complete restoration of the commission so that it can do its job correctly under international standards."
.
Farm minister Shoichi Nakagawa said the vote showed that the opponents of whaling were now outnumbered by "voices calling for a normalization of whale resource management."
.
"Our country will continue doing our best for the resumption of sustainable whaling based on scientific data."
.
Japan wants the International Whaling Commission to manage whale stocks for commercial hunting, a notion scoffed at by Western environmentalists who say the mammals remain at risk.
.
Securing a permanent majority on the IWC would allow Tokyo to control its agenda for the first time since a moratorium was introduced and, environmentalists fear, let Tokyo hinder conservation efforts.
.
Prime Minister Helen Clark of New Zealand, one of the major opponents of Japanese whaling which is partially in Antarctic waters, said that Tokyo was damaging its international reputation.
.
She repeated charges that Japan had used its foreign aid to win the votes of small countries on the commission which have no history of whaling.
.
"It does mean we cannot count on whales being safe for the future," Clark said.
.
"When you can't shift the stocks of whalemeat off the shelves in supermarkets of Japan, it's not a tenable position when you have to in effect apply very large amounts of money to get support," she said.
.
Environmentalists point to a glut of whale on Japanese markets as proof that the country does not need the meat. A new Japanese government-backed company was formed this year with plans to sell cheaper whalemeat to schools, bars and hospitals in hopes that more people will develop a taste for it. -puke
.
Whalemeat has a sentimental association for many Japanese as it helped feed the nation when it was on the verge of famine after defeat in World War II.
.
Japan argues that whalemeat is part of its culture and urges Western nations to respect its traditions.
.
Japan officially abides by the 1986 moratorium but kills whales under a loophole that allows "research" while sending the meat on the market.
.
Iceland also carries out "research" whaling while Norway ignores the moratorium altogether. Around 2,000 whales are taken every year by the three nations.
.
At last year's commission meeting in South Korea, Japan doubled its annual kill to about 850 minke whales and extended the hunt to other species considered to be endangered. — AFP Japan has welcomed the first vote for two decades in support of commercial whaling as a "huge" step and vowed to press on to resume hunting, leading New Zealand to warn that whales were no longer safe.
.
Pro-whaling nations led by Japan passed a non-binding resolution at the International Whaling Commission by a one-vote margin that branded a 20-year ban on commercial whaling "no longer necessary."
.
Hideki Moronuki, head of the whaling section of Japan's Fisheries Agency, cautioned against exaggerating the impact of the vote held in the West Indies.
.
"It is too fast to claim that the moratorium has been eliminated," he said Monday.
.
"Of course, if the moratorium were truly eliminated, we would be overjoyed. But for that to happen, it will still take a bit more time.
.
"We have simply taken a huge step towards normalizing the International Whaling Commission. This is only a preamble to what we hope would be a complete restoration of the commission so that it can do its job correctly under international standards."
.
Farm minister Shoichi Nakagawa said the vote showed that the opponents of whaling were now outnumbered by "voices calling for a normalization of whale resource management."
.
"Our country will continue doing our best for the resumption of sustainable whaling based on scientific data."
.
Japan wants the International Whaling Commission to manage whale stocks for commercial hunting, a notion scoffed at by Western environmentalists who say the mammals remain at risk.
.
Securing a permanent majority on the IWC would allow Tokyo to control its agenda for the first time since a moratorium was introduced and, environmentalists fear, let Tokyo hinder conservation efforts.
.
Prime Minister Helen Clark of New Zealand, one of the major opponents of Japanese whaling which is partially in Antarctic waters, said that Tokyo was damaging its international reputation.
.
She repeated charges that Japan had used its foreign aid to win the votes of small countries on the commission which have no history of whaling.
.
"It does mean we cannot count on whales being safe for the future," Clark said.
.
"When you can't shift the stocks of whalemeat off the shelves in supermarkets of Japan, it's not a tenable position when you have to in effect apply very large amounts of money to get support," she said.
.
Environmentalists point to a glut of whale on Japanese markets as proof that the country does not need the meat. A new Japanese government-backed company was formed this year with plans to sell cheaper whalemeat to schools, bars and hospitals in hopes that more people will develop a taste for it.
.
Whalemeat has a sentimental association for many Japanese as it helped feed the nation when it was on the verge of famine after defeat in World War II.
.
Japan argues that whalemeat is part of its culture and urges Western nations to respect its traditions.
.
Japan officially abides by the 1986 moratorium but kills whales under a loophole that allows "research" while sending the meat on the market.
.
Iceland also carries out "research" whaling while Norway ignores the moratorium altogether. Around 2,000 whales are taken every year by the three nations.
.
At last year's commission meeting in South Korea, Japan doubled its annual kill to about 850 minke whales and extended the hunt to other species considered to be endangered. — AFP
http://www.todayonline.com/articles/125433.asp