Japan whale hunting: Commercial whaling to restart in July
Japan will be free to hunt whales like the minke for
commercial purposes from July onwards
Japan says it is to restart commercial whaling in July in a
move that is likely to draw international criticism.
It said it would withdraw from the International Whaling
Commission (IWC), the body tasked with whale conservation.
Commercial whaling was banned by the IWC in 1986 after some
species were driven almost to extinction.
Officials in Japan, an IWC member since 1951, say eating
whales is part of the country's culture.
For many years Japan has hunted whales for what it calls
"scientific research" and to sell the meat, a programme widely
criticised by conservationists.
Wednesday's announcement had been expected, but conservation
groups warn the move will have serious consequences.
It means Japan will be able to freely hunt species currently
protected by the IWC, like minke whales.
What did Japan just announce?
Government spokesman Yoshihide Suga said commercial whaling
would be restricted to Japanese territorial waters and economic zones.
As a result, Japan will stop hunting in Antarctic waters and
the southern hemisphere, a prospect conservation groups had welcomed before it
was formally confirmed.
Could the ban on killing whales end?
Japan and the whale
A statement by Japan's government said the IWC was not
committed enough to one of its goals, of supporting sustainable commercial
whaling.
It accused the IWC of being focused only on the aim of
conserving numbers.
Sushi made of whale meat and blubber sold in Miyagi
prefecture
A number of coastal communities in Japan have hunted whales
for centuries, but consumption in the country surged only after World War Two
when whales were the main source of meat. It has plummeted in recent decades.
According to Japan's Asahi newspaper, whale meat makes up
only 0.1% of all meat sold in Japan.
What's been the reaction?
In a joint statement, Australia's Foreign Minister Marise
Payne and Environment Minister Melissa Price said they were "extremely
disappointed" with Japan's decision.
"Australia remains resolutely opposed to all forms of
commercial and so-called 'scientific' whaling," the statement added.
Before the formal announcement was made, Nicola Beynon, head
of campaigns at Humane Society International in Australia, said Japan would be
"operating completely outside the bounds of international law".
She added: "This is the path of a pirate whaling
nation, with a troubling disregard for international rule."
Greenpeace Japan urged the government to reconsider, and
warned it would risk criticism as the host of the G20 summit in June.
Sam Annesley, Greenpeace Japan's executive director, said:
"It's clear that the government is trying to sneak in this announcement at
the end of year, away from the spotlight of international media, but the world
sees this for what it is.
"The declaration today is out of step with the
international community, let alone the protection needed to safeguard the
future of our oceans and these majestic creatures."
What is the current whaling ban?
In 1986, IWC members agreed to a moratorium on hunting to
allow stocks to recover.
Pro-whaling nations expected the moratorium to be temporary,
until consensus could be reached on sustainable catch quotas.
Currently, Japan kills whales under a so-called scientific
research programme
Instead, it became a quasi-permanent ban. Whaling nations,
such as Japan, Norway and Iceland, however argue the practice is part of their
culture and should continue in a sustainable way.
Today, whale stocks are carefully monitored, and while many
species are still endangered, others - like the minke whale that Japan
primarily hunts - are not.
Japanese whaling: why the hunts go on
In September, Tokyo tried to get the IWC to allow commercial
catch quotas but the proposal was rejected.
Can Japan just leave?
It will still be bound by certain international laws,
despite leaving the IWC.
The UN Convention on the Law of the Sea binds countries to
co-operate on the conservation of whales "through the appropriate
international organisations for their conservation, management and study".
The text does not say which international organisation that is.
Japan could either try to set up another international body
if it manages to get enough other countries to sign up - or join an existing
one like the North Atlantic Marine Mammal Commission (Nammco) instead.
Like a smaller version of the IWC, Nammco is a grouping of
pro-whaling nations - Norway, Iceland, Greenland and the Faroe Islands - born
out of frustration with the IWC.
Hasn't Japan been whaling all along?
Yes, Japan has been hunting whales for the past 30 years but
under a scientific programme, granted as an exception under the IWC ban.
Critics say the practice is a cover for what actually
amounts to commercial whaling.
Currently, Japan takes around 300 to 400 whales each year
It means that whales can be taken for scientific studies and
the meat can later be sold for consumption.
Japan has caught between about 200 and 1,200 whales each
year, saying it is investigating stock levels to see whether the whales are
endangered or not.
Why can't the IWC agree?
Japan has repeatedly tried to overturn the moratorium and
secure agreement on sustainable catch quotas.
The last attempt to do so came in September at an IWC summit
in Brazil.
Japan offered a package of measures, including setting up a
Sustainable Whaling Committee and sustainable catch limits "for abundant
whale stocks/species".
The proposal was voted down. Since then there has been talk
of the country simply leaving the body so it will no longer be bound by its
rules.
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