Japan hints it may leave International Whaling Commission after attempt to resume commercial hunting voted down
Australia has encouraged Japan to remain within the International Whaling Commission after the country’s attempt to lift a 33-year ban on commercial whaling failed to win enough votes.
Japan’s so-called “way forward” proposal for the IWC to start a “sustainable whaling” program lost by 41 votes to 27 on a tense final morning of the IWC meeting in Florianópolis, Brazil.
Conservation groups praised Australia’s delegation for helping to safeguard the global whaling ban at what was seen as a “make-or-break” moment for whales.
As threats to whales from discarded fishing nets, ship strikes, climate change and fisheries by-catch had increased, adding commercial hunting was seen as a step too far for many countries.
Japan’s vice minister for fisheries, Masaaki Taniai, said after the country would now conduct a “fundamental reassessment of its membership of the IWC”.
Speaking to Guardian Australia moments after the meeting closed, Australia’s IWC commissioner Nick Gales said: “The fact that [Japan’s proposal] was set up to fail, then begs the question, was this really to construct a narrative to go back to their government to promote a position to depart from the IWC – but that’s speculation.
“Ultimately we had to ensure it did not proceed.”
He said allowing a restart of commercial whaling that would add to the multiple threats whales faced was “not something that we would do in a modern age – it’s a relic of the past”.
Among the countries voting to restart commercial whaling were Norway, Iceland, Cambodia, Tuvalu, Kiribati, Kenya, Cambodia and Morocco.
Japan has been pushing the IWC to take a management role for hunting whales. In the moments after the vote, Taniai said Japan had worked “sincerely” for 30 years and “explored every avenue to achieve reform” of the IWC.
“However, if scientific evidence and diversity are not respected and if commercial whaling based on science is completely denied, and if there is no possibility for the different positions and views to exist with mutual understanding and respect, then Japan will be pressed to undertake a fundamental reassessment of its position as a member of the IWC where every possible option will be scrutinised,” Taniai said.
