Greg Barns: Room for compromise on Japanese whaling

Protesting about Japan's whaling activities in the Southern Ocean might seem, at an emotional level, to be a good idea. Whales are magnificent creatures and Australians and New Zealanders generally don't like the idea of killing them.

But at a more rational level, the current stand-off between Australia, New Zealand and Japan over whaling isn't doing either side any good.

If the likes of Greenpeace or the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society think they are going to stop the Japanese from heading to the Southern Ocean each year looking for minke whales, then they are deluded.

There needs to be a discussion about the possibility of sustainable whaling. Blanket bans on whaling, just like blanket bans on sealing, will not work.

The debate about whales is as much about human rights and sovereignty - in this case Japan, its culture and people - as it is about sustainability.

One solution has been proposed by Professor Robert Freidheim, from the University of Southern California. Freidheim has outlined the case for sustainable whaling in the Southern Ocean in his 2001 book Towards a Sustainable Whaling Regime (University of Washington Press).

That the current stand-off between conservation groups and the Japanese will continue forever and a day is evident, Freidheim says, when one considers the whaling issue from a Japanese perspective.

First, the Japanese are not the "evil empire" in the whaling debate. As Freidheim observes, in 1994 Japan conceded at the International Whaling Commission that there should be "a sanctuary in which all whales save minke whales would enjoy long-term protection. Japan, in effect, said that it would not target blues, humpbacks, rights, sperms or any other whales in any limited hunt they would stage in the Southern Ocean, that there would not be a return to the 'whaling Olympics'."

And it is important for Australia and New Zealand to put some context around Japan's historical link to the ocean.

Freidheim writes that the "Japanese see themselves as an ocean-dependent people, and being an island country, Japan must always be concerned about food security."

"Since World War II, Japan has fished the seas hard to provide animal protein. To force Japan out of whaling seems to the Japanese another measure to reduce their independence and create a sense of dependence on outside food sources. Little wonder they have been stubborn."

Freidheim also observes that Japan has been an excellent global citizen when it comes to observing international norms on fishing. Their record in the salmon industry proves this point.

Freidheim says that while Japanese high seas salmon fishing was phased out, Japanese firms bought Alaskan packing and processing facilities.

"This arrangement allowed Japanese fishing companies to supply salmon to Japanese consumers. The adjustment was painful, and it took some years to complete. Japanese former fishing, now fish trading, companies had to absorb the costs of terminating the livelihood of some of their fishermen," he writes.

So what's the solution? Freidheim correctly notes that given the strength of the relationship between the Japanese Government and that country's fishing industry, if a compromise could be brokered between the anti- and pro- Southern Ocean whaling forces, it would be respected by the Japanese Government and private fishing interests.

He urges the establishment of what he calls a Revised Management Scheme, which would stipulate who has the rights to catch what and in what numbers, where and when.

It would also resolve whether the exploiter of the resource should pay for the right to do so, and develop a regulatory regime that allows for independent inspections, oversight, audits and enforcement.

The creation of such a sustainable Southern Ocean whaling regime would, to have credibility, have to be endorsed by the International Whaling Commission, countries such as Australia and New Zealand, and have the blessing of non-government organisations like Greenpeace.

The alternative to devising such a regime is to continue to "humiliate and humble Japan", Freidheim says. That will not help the whales.

It's time, if the conservationists are serious about a solution rather than annual grandstanding, for a radical change of approach to Southern Ocean whaling. Reading Robert Freidheim's thought-provoking ideas would be a good start.

* Greg Barns is a columnist with the Hobart Mercury and a former political adviser to the Australian Government.