Whaling Debate Heats Up

A D E L A I D E, Japan, July 3 -- — Pressure on Japan to stophunting whales in the Antarctic is expected to mount after theInternational Whaling Commission said today it is no longersure how many Minke whales still live in the region.

The IWC’s scientific committee said new research suggestedthe real number of minke whales in the southern hemisphere couldbe “appreciably lower” than the long-accepted estimate of76,000 which has been promoted by Japan to defend its culls.

“We can’t give a number for the total population at thispresent time,” committee chairwoman Judy Zeh told the IWC’sannual meeting which opened in Australia today.

Japan caught more than 500 minke whales last year for whatit calls scientific purposes and, with Norway, it is seeking tolift a 1986 ban on commercial whaling. Norway plans to kill 655minkes this year under a complaint it has registered on the ban.

Earlier, Japan attacked moves by Australia to establish aSouth Pacific whale sanctuary, saying the plan had “noscientific justification,” but the Japanese delegation failedin a bid to ban Greenpeace environmentalists from the IWCmeeting.

The Battle ContinuesThe three-day meeting opened as an unprecedented publicrelations battle continued between pro-whalers — Japan, Norwayand the High North Alliance group — and anti-whaling groups.

Delegates from the IWC’s 40 member nations were met onarrival by the recorded sounds of whales singing and peacefulprotest vigils from both sides of the whaling divide.

Inside the forum, Japan accused Greenpeace of “illegal andviolent” action during a protest against Japanese whalers atsea in the Antarctic last year, saying the protesters had riskedthe lives and safety of the vessel’s crew and researchers.

But its move to quash Greenpeace’s observer status failed,opposed by the United States, Britain and other key nations,with support only from Caribbean nations Antigua, St. Kitts andNevis.