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Japan receives simultaneous international and
domestic criticism for its whaling policies.


PRESS RELEASE  August 21, 2000 
from Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society>

Fifteen countries and sixty-five Japanese organisations add to diplomatic
measures to stop Japanese whaling

In two unprecedented moves, the Japanese Government has today been
bombarded with diplomatic and domestic protests over its killing of three
protected species of whales. Earlier today in Tokyo, a demarche signed by 15
countries was presented to the Ministry of Foreign Affiars calling on Japan to
end its so-called ?scientific whaling? in the North Pacific.

At the same time, an open letter to the Prime Minister of Japan, signed by 65 Japanese environmental and animal welfare organisations, called on him to
stopthe hunt immediately. These unique initiatives add to pressure on Japan to stop whaling from a joint letter of protest from Tony Blair, Bill Clinton and Helen Clark, Prime Minister of New Zealand; a resolution passed by the International Whaling Commission (IWC); and the threat of trade sanctions by the USA.

Japan argues that the hunt (which is an extension of its infamous minke whale
hunt) is justified on scientific grounds. Japan inaccurately claims that whales
are eating too many fish needed by humans, and that it needs to kill 10 sperm
whales, 50 Bryde's whales and 100 minke whales to determine their stomach
contents.

The IWC, which has banned commercial whaling since 1986,considered Japan's ?research? proposal at its annual meeting last month. It robustly criticised Japan's poor scientific arguments, noting that the ?data? sought in the hunt was not necessary for whale management and could, in any case, be gathered by non-lethal means.

The IWC adopted a resolution calling on Japan to refrain from the hunt.  But
this and other attempts to stop the whaling operation have, so far, been ignored by Japan, whose five-vessel fleet set sail shortly after the IWC meeting closed and has already killed a sperm whale, four Bryde's whales and five minke whales.

As Sue Fisher, Campaigns Manager at the Whale and Dolphin Conservation
Society, notes, "this whaling operation is motivated by money, not science.
Japan is targeting two new species of whales that yield large quantities of meat.
Japan wants to increase its whaling and its profits and is testing the resolve of
the international community. WDCS is delighted to see such a resounding
protest against Japanese whaling both within Japan and from so many nations.
Even countries that have previously contemplated doing a ?deal? with Japan to
bring its minke whaling under control, have joined this diplomatic protest and
given Japan the clear message that its whaling activities will simply not be tolerated."

Nanami Kurasawa, Director of the Dolphin and Whale Action Network in
Japan, whose open letter to the Prime Minster of Japan is supported by 64
other Japanese organisations, describes the hunt as "unacceptable" and calls on Japan to "stop killing whales under the guise of science".  She protests that, "this research will not benefit whales, the IWC or the Japanese public; it just provides a cover for a profit-making industry selling luxury food items to a tiny minority of the Japanese population". She refutes the claim that whale meat is a staple food in Japan and notes that the whaling industry and government have had to run media campaigns in Japan to encourage whale meat consumption.

For a copy of the Japanese NGO statement, footage of Japanese whaling, or
other details, contact: Sue Fisher, WDCS-UK Tel (44) (0) 1225 334511
Nanami Kurasawa - Dolphin and Whale Action Network. Tel (81) 3-3366-8122

Editors? Notes :
In 1982, after centuries of commercial over-exploitation, so many whale
populations were close to extinction that the International Whaling Commission (IWC) agreed to protect all whale species from further commercial hunting.  The ?Moratorium?, which came into effect in 1986 has, for the most part,
been a successful conservation measure, and some (although by no means all)
whale populations are slowly recovering. Despite the ban, however, Japan and
Norwayhave exploited loopholes in the text of the whaling convention and have
continued to kill hundreds of minke whales each year for commercial purposes.

Japan undertakes two hunts of minke whales (in the Antarctic and the North
Pacific), killing about 540 whales each year. Japan claims that these hunts are
legal because the IWC treaty makes provision for whales to be killed for scientific research, and permits the by-products to be dealt with in accordance
with the whaling nation's wishes. The IWC has, however, never accepted
that Japan?s hunts are legitimate and each year passes a resolution calling on
Japan to desist.  The IWC does not need information obtained from killing whales, and has stated that the data collected in Japan's ?scientific? whaling programmes are "not required for management". It notes that the primary motivation for the hunts is commercial, not scientific; since millions of dollars worth of meat and blubber are sold onto the Japanese market for domestic consumption. Despite the criticism of its defiance of the Moratorium, Japan has just extended its annual ?scientific whaling programme? of 100 minkes in the North Pacific to include ten sperm and 50 Bryde?s whales. Japan exaggeratedly claims that these whales are devastating fish stocks needed by humans, and argues that it is necessary to kill them partly in order to study their diet. As usual, the by-product of the ?research? will be sold onto the domestic market. In fact, as sperm and Bryde?s whales are so much larger than minke whales, and may be marketed as a special delicacy, Japan's profits will increase significantly for very little additional effort and investment in its Pacific operation.

Although Japan did not need the IWC's permission to proceed with this hunt, it is customary for such proposed research to be considered by the IWC's Scientific Committee. The research proposal brought by Japan to the annual meeting of the IWC last month was robustly criticised by experts in the Scientific Committee who noted that no essential research is identified in the proposal's objectives and that it does not meet the IWC's own guidelines for research.  The proposal's poor scientific arguments and the barely disguised commercialism of the proposed ?research? was the last straw for the IWC and it passed a resolution that rejects the proposed research as unjustified, notes that the data sought could be collected by non-lethal means, and strongly urges Japan to refrain from the hunt.  In addition to the IWC?s response, an unprecedented joint letter was sent from Tony Blair, Bill Clinton and the Prime Minister of New Zealand to the Japanese Prime Minister calling on Japan not to proceed with the hunt Despite this letter, however, and only a matter of days after the IWC stated its opposition to the proposed hunt, Japan commenced the operation. It killed its first Bryde's whale on 1 August.  Under US domestic law, the President may trade sanctions against other countries for actions that diminish the effectiveness of conservation programmes like the IWC. The US Secretary of Commerce has warned Japan that the USA is prepared to retaliate against Japan with "very strong" measures if it takes sperm and Bryde's whales".