17 Governments Ask Japanese to Stop Antarctic Whaling

TOKYO, Japan, January 19, 2006 (ENS)- Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom, along with 13 other countries, have presented a formal diplomatic representation to the Japanese government urging it to stop its Antarctic whaling program.

A written statement, or demarche, was delivered to the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday and to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry on Tuesday by the Brazilian ambassador on behalf of the 17 governments. It calls on Japan to "cease all its lethal scientific research on whales."

The demarche notes that Japan is now killing more whales every year in the Antarctic alone than it killed for scientific research in the 31 years prior to the introduction of the moratorium on commercial whaling in 1986.

It also highlights a resolution adopted at last year’s meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) which called on Japan to withdraw its proposal for an increase in scientific whaling.

UK Minister for Marine and Animal Welfare Ben Bradshaw said, "The UK is totally opposed to any activity that undermines the present moratorium on commercial whaling. The fact that 17 countries supported this representation, shows how important this issue is, and the depth of feeling around the world."

Ben Bradshaw is UK Minister for Marine and Animal Welfare. (Photo courtesy UK Government)

"We urge Japan to reconsider its position and end this unjustified and unnecessary slaughter which is regarded by many countries and their public as a means to by-pass the IWC moratorium," Bradshaw said.

The Brazilian Ambassador to Japan André Mattoso Maia Amado led the demarche. He was accompanied by the UK ambassador together with resident ambassadors from five other countries.

Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Mexico, New Zealand, Portugal, Spain and Sweden also signed the demarche.

The demarche states the 17 countries' "serious concerns" about the implementation of the second Japanese Whale Research Program under Special Permit in the Antarctic (JARPA II), which started on November 8, 2005.

"We are deeply concerned that the Government of Japan intends to more than double the annual catch of minke whales, and to ultimately, include the catch of 50 fin whales and 50 humpback whales under JARPA II," the demarche states.

"We would like to remind the Government of Japan that fin and humpback whales remain classified as "endangered" and "vulnerable" respectively in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. We therefore have grave concerns that JARPA II will undermine the long-term viability of these species."

At annual meetings of the International Whaling Commission (IWC), Brazil has proposed repeatedly the creation of a whale sanctuary in the South Atlantic, but these proposals have been blocked by pro-whaling nations, including Japan.

A Japanese harpoon hits a whale. The Japanese say their whaling is "scientific" not commercial. (Photo courtesy Votier/WDCS)

"For that reason," the demarche states, "the International Whaling Commission has adopted several resolutions urging the Government of Japan to refrain from carrying out lethal scientific whaling."

The Japan Whaling Association (JWA) said today it was "an encouraging sign that only 17 nations" had supported the demarche "against science and sustainable whaling."

"Only 17 of the IWC's current 66 members supported the protest, and quite noticeably, the United States, Switzerland and Denmark, the current chair, did not," said JWA President Keiichi Nakajima.

Keiichi Nakajima heads the Japan Whaling Association and is a Japanese representative to the IWC. (Photo courtesy Government of Japan)

"Is it fair that the 25 percent of the IWC members with hardline, intolerant, anti-whaling stances towards science and sustainable environmental management should be allowed to drive IWC direction and hold back those who want to finish the management regime and lift the moratorium?" he asked.

"We are not asking these countries to like it - we are asking these countries to accept it and move on," Nakajima said. "Our differences over whaling are small compared with our similarities. There are far too many important issues in the world today like climate change for our time, energy and resources to be used on political posturing over whaling. It's time to end the moratorium."

But the demarche was joined by two more countries this year than last. In 2005, Australia led a demarche of 15 countries to raise concerns with the Japanese government about its proposal to increase its whale catch in Antarctic waters.

Last year Australia, together with Spain and 12 Latin American and Southern Hemisphere countries, also signed a declaration condemning scientific whaling. The six point declaration supports continuing the current moratorium on whaling, an end to special permit whaling for 'so-called’ scientific purposes and scientific research by only non-lethal means.

Australian Environment Minister Senator Ian Campbell and Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said in a joint statement Wednesday, "Australia remains committed to ending whaling under the guise of scientific research and will continue to work tirelessly with other pro-conservation countries in the lead up to the 58th annual meeting of the International Whaling Commission in June."

On Monday, Australia called on Japanese whalers and the environmental group Greenpeace to calm down following life-threatening confrontations between them in the Southern Ocean. On Saturday, a harpoon fired at a minke whale just missed a Greenpeace protest boat and the harpoon line knocked its driver into the sea.

Greenpeace Wednesday applauded the governments' action and called for protests against corporations that support the Japanese whaling fleet.

"Let's not forget that along with pressure from governments, global corporations like Nissui also have a role to play in bringing an end to the hunt," Greenpeace said. "Japan's second-largest marine products company, Nissui owns one third of Kyodo Senpaku, which operates the whaling fleet. We are urging people to tell Nissui that "whaling is bad for business" and use its influence to stop whaling now."