Japan, Allies Move Closer to Whale Hunts

FRIGATE BAY, St. Kitts — Japan and its allies edged closer toward their goal of resuming commercial whale hunts as the International Whaling Commission’s annual meeting drew to a close Tuesday with accusations of vote-buying from opponents.

The pro-whaling nations narrowly passed a symbolic resolution during the gathering to support ending a 20-year-old ban on commercial whaling and seemed poised to expand their influence at next year’s meeting in Anchorage, Alaska.

"This was a historical vote," said Joji Morishita, a spokesman for the Japanese delegation. "This means the IWC can go back to managing whales and not just protecting them."

Opponents accused Japan of buying support by paying the dues of friendly nations and providing more than $100 million in aid over the past five years to the six Caribbean nations that backed the resolution.

"It took 15 years for Japan to achieve a simple majority, and they invested heavily in it," said New Zealand Conservation Minister Chris Carter.

Meanwhile, police arrested 10 protesters from the environmental group Greenpeace who had tried to place cardboard whale tails into the sand outside the conference as a memorial to the 863 whales killed by Japan in the past year.

Bill Hogarth, the U.S. representative who was elected commission chairman, said he would seek a compromise between Japan and the anti-whaling nations. "We’ve got to break this logjam," he said.

Hogarth said the U.S. opposes overturning the ban but will work with whaling nations to evaluate how many whales could be hunted if there is a return to commercial hunting.

As the meeting ended, Japan planned a meeting of pro-whaling nations early next year to help consolidate its gains and move toward gaining the 75 percent majority necessary to overturn the ban.

Both Japan and Iceland kill whales for scientific research – which critics call a sham – and sell the carcasses. Norway ignores the moratorium and openly conducts commercial whaling.