Update: The International Whaling Commission met in Portoroz, Slovenia where a resolution was passed 37 to 15 to allow international bodies such as the UN to be involved in establishing further protections for whales. Japan and other whaling nations opposed the resolution. Japan's alleged scientific whaling program known as JARPA II was ruled illegal and no further permits are authorized by the Commission. Japan responded by asking scientists around the world to help review its plans to resume whaling this season in the Southern Ocean. Unfortunately a resolution to establish a Southern Atlantic whale sancturary was defeated by whaling nations since the measure failed to achieve the three-quarters majority needed for adoption. The proposal has been narrowly defeated at every IWC meeting since 1999, but this year the vote was the closest ever (40-18).
Norway, one of the three remaining whaling countires, has killed 729 northern minke whales as of August. It continues to hunt whales under an objection to the moratorium; Norway's whaling is not camoflaged by the cover of scientific research. Despite a good hunting season, the demand for whale meat is dropping worldwide. Norway's quota is set at 1,286 for the season; fortunately for the species its numbers are estimated at 180,000. Japan's whaling program is not profitable and is heavily subsidized by the government. The Japanese people do not strongly support its continuation. A poll indicates at least 55% of them are indifferent to whaling. 89% of respondents say they have not bought whale meat in the last 12 months. It is time for Japan's officials to stop the slaughter that their citizens do not want.
{29.09.14}Japan has snubbed the International Whaling Commission by announcing it will proceed with whaling plans next year in the Southern Ocean. At one point in 2011 Japan told the international community that it would halt whaling in the Southern Ocean. Sea Shepards and other conservationists declared victory, but Japan resumed its commercial hunt {17.01.14, Sea Shepherds Sweep the Sea} At a meeting the Commission voted to require all "scientific whaling" programs be placed before the Scientific Committee for guidance. It also voted to place strict limits on the number of whales taken for scientific purposes. Nevertheless, Japan will continue the sharade of classifing its commercial whaling as culls for scientific purposes. The International Court Justice found that Japan's extensive use of lethal means to achieve it alleged scientific purpose does not fit with IWC resolutions concerning the whaling moratorium and the scientific purposes exception. Further the sheer size of the minke whale take (853 during the first year) convinced the Court that Japan's "priority was to maintain whaling operations without any pause" [p.48] during a six year long research program. The Court also noted the testimony of Japan's Director General of the Fisheries Agency before a House of Representatives subcommittee: minke whale meat is "prized because it is said to have a very good flavor and aroma when eaten as sashimi and the like." [p.58] Obviously Japan, your drool was too obvious! Hopefully Sea Shepherds will again undertake the periolus duty of opposing the Japanese whaling vessels since legal authorities seem powerless to stop them.