Smokescreen Science & Vote Buying Threaten Whale Protection

Smokescreen Science & Vote Buying Threaten Whale Protection (Tokyo & London - 16 May 2002) On the eve of the 54th meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) in Shimonoseki, Japan, the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) today supported the concern expressed by the UK Fisheries Minister Elliot Morley that the Government of Japan may well have mustered enough support to reverse years of whale conservation. IFAW UK Marine Campaigner Kara Brydson condemned Japanese use of fisheries aid to block progress in the IWC by recruiting votes from small, developing countries. "The Government of Japan knows it can't rely on the power of science or persuasion to recruit votes in the IWC, so it relies on the power of its currency" said Brydson. "This vote buying, to which Japanese officials have openly admitted, has blocked important conservation measures for whales in the IWC." Over the last two years, Japan has led a blocking minority of countries, including six Caribbean small island states dependent on Japanese fisheries aid, to prevent IWC adoption of the South Pacific Whale Sanctuary, despite support from Pacific Island states. IFAW also sharply criticised recent Japanese Government moves to return to full-scale industrial whaling. In a press briefing at the Tokyo Foreign Correspondents Club today, IFAW outlined the controversial issues to be debated at next week's IWC meeting in Shimonoseki, Japan. IFAW UK IWC Campaigner Vassili Papastavrou said "It is clear that so- called "scientific whaling" by Japan is nothing more than whale for sale. And nobody's buying it." IFAW cited a poll released March 30th by Asahi Shimbun showing that despite government claims, an overwhelming majority of Japanese people have either never eaten whale meat or have not eaten it for a very long time. "The IWC suspended all commercial whaling in 1986, but Japan has been killing whales ever since," said Dr. Chris Tuite, Director of IFAW's Wildlife and Habitat Programme. "The actions of the Japanese Fisheries Agency threaten to destroy three decades of hard-won protections for whales. These fisheries bureaucrats will stop at nothing. Their irresponsible statements and actions now also threaten Japan's reputation and credibility in the international community." IFAW representatives criticised Japan's so-called "scientific whaling" programme and rejected claims by Japan and a handful of other pro- whaling countries that whales should be killed because they eat too many fish. IFAW applauded the action taken by ambassadors from 18 countries, including the UK, who recently delivered a stiffly worded demarche to Japanese Deputy Foreign Minister Shigeo Uetake calling on Japan to immediately abandon its so-called "scientific whaling" programme. Conservationists have long argued that Japan's scientific whaling is actually a cover for continuing the commercial whaling industry. DNA research supported by IFAW and others over the last eight years has repeatedly confirmed that meat from endangered and protected whales is widely available in Japanese markets. DNA analysis of more than 1,000 samples of whale meat from Japan and South Korea over this period shows that Japan's "scientific whaling" is actually providing a cover for the illegal hunting and trade of endangered whale species. For further information, contact: Lis Key, IFAW Press Office, 020 7587 6708/07801 613531. Kara Brydson, IFAW Marine Campaigner, 020 7587 6732/07946 283005 ------------------------------------------------------------ This information was brought to you by Waymaker http://www.waymaker.net The following files are available for download: http://www.waymaker.net/bitonline/2002/05/16/20020516BIT01420/wkr0001.doc http://www.waymaker.net/bitonline/2002/05/16/20020516BIT01420/wkr0002.pdf