Harpooned: the world's fight to save the whale

[gottaB]

19 July 2004

A step towards the return of commercial whaling will be taken this week if pro-whaling countries achieve - as many expect - their first majority voting bloc on whaling's governing body.

Japan, Norway and Iceland - all still hunting the great whales in defiance of the 18-year international moratorium on their killing - are on course to gain control of more than 50 per cent of the votes at the 2004 International Whaling Commission (IWC) meeting, which begins in Sorrento, Italy, today.

Hitherto, the anti-whaling nations, led by the US, Australia, New Zealand and Britain, have held a controlling majority of IWC votes. But in a tireless diplomatic offensive, the Japanese have spent more than 10 years and many millions of pounds recruiting small nations to the IWC as whaling sympathisers, in return for substantial development aid.

Harpooned: the world's fight to save the whale....

More stories from the IWC meeting:

• South Africa Stands Firm on Whaling
  
• Dark Clouds on Anti-Whaling Horizon
  
• Whales do not Compete with Humans for Fish
  
• Ban on Whaling Faces Fiercest Attack since 1970s
  
• Whaling moratorium under review
  
• Japan's "Research" Hunting to Rear Head at Global Whaling Meet