NZ and Australia are 'whale huggers' says Japan

By COLIN DONALD

The Japanese whale commissioner has labelled New Zealand and Australia "whale huggers" as the pro-whaling group at the International Whaling Commission struggles to regroup.

The Japan-led nations who support whaling suffered two shock reversals, especially the unexpectedly large 5-vote margin preventing Iceland from rejoining the commission with a conditional opt-out on the moratorium.

As strong advocates of whale protection, and co-sponsors of the Southern Pacific whale sanctuary, New Zealand and Australia have been the target of virulent Japanese criticism at the commission plenary session under way in Japan.

Lobbyists for the "preservation of Japan's traditional food culture" have distributed a flyer reading "New Zealand Lamb - What would you do if Japanese people told New Zealanders. 'No More Sunday Lamb Roast'?"

Masayuki Komatsu, Japan's outspoken commissioner, has accused Australia and New Zealand of being uncompromising "whale-huggers", and has vociferously objected to Helen Clark's "official support of Greenpeace".

"New Zealand is still stuck in an old-fashioned and irrational protectionism policy only because its love for whales in general is overriding the scientific findings," Mr Komatsu said.

"Such a stance seems outdated and irrational from the view of multi-species management."

Hopes had been high among the Japanese and Norwegians, the main allies in the fight to end the 20-year moratorium on commercial whaling, that a "home fixture", plus strategic recruiting of new pro-whaling commission members might give them a majority on key votes.

Armed with this they had hoped to begin to overturn the anti-whaling majority that enforced the moratorium in 1982.

Coming the day after Japanese right-wingers staged a noisy demonstration in support of whaling outside the conference venue, Monday's votes were the climax of heated procedural wrangling.

"It's been a very satisfactory day from our point of view," said Jim McLay, New Zealand's commissioner.

"We would love to see Iceland back in the IWC but only on the same basis as everyone else.

"It was absolutely unacceptable that they should try to impose conditions on an international body."

But proposals to create two new sanctuaries in the Southern Hemisphere fell through at the meeting, failing to get the third-quarters vote needed for passage.

Both proposals, one for the South Pacific and one for the South Atlantic, have been voted down in past annual meetings.

New Zealand and Australia are the most fervent proponents of sanctuaries.

Although disappointed by the proposals' rejection, supporters said they were encouraged because the number of votes in favour had increased over the last year.

Some 24 nations voted for the South Pacific sanctuary and 19 against, with five abstentions. Last year, 20 voted in favour and 13 against, with four abstentions.

Mr McLay declined to add to longstanding counter-accusations by anti-whaling forces that Japan had been "buying" the votes of small countries, especially in the Caribbean, with promises of aid.

He noted that growing concerns about the level of toxins found in whale meat had the potential to bridge the gulf that has dogged the commission since its inception.

"Whether you want to save the whales or to eat them, you've got to be concerned about this," he added.

At the same time, delegates were served up whale meat at the session. New Zealand's Conservation Minister Sandra Lee said she declined.

Full text:
Sandra Lee's speech to International Whaling Commission

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