WASHINGTON - As the International Whaling Commission (IWC)
continues its 54th annual meeting in Shimonoseki, Japan,
evidence that meat from endangered species of whales can be
found in Japanese markets was presented by New Zealand
researchers at the meeting of the Scientific Committee. Results
from DNA tests on whale meat showed that endangered sei,
humpback, and fin whales are making their way to the Japanese
public for sale as food.
Japan is pushing for an end to the 15 year international
moratorium on commercial whaling. The country currently
operates a “scientific” whaling program. Scientific whaling is
allowed under IWC rules; however, due to its questionable
scientific merit and the resulting whale meat ending up for
commercial sale, the Commission has issued resolutions
condemning Japan’s program as an abuse of the provision. Each
year Japan hunts and kills 540 minke, 50 Bryde’s and 10 sperm
whales in the name of science, claiming that the killing is
necessary to collect information about the whales. This year
they seek to expand this program to include 50 endangered sei
whales. Meat and blubber from the hunts are sold in Japanese
restaurants and supermarkets, leading many to insist that the
program is a screen for commercial whaling.
Dr. Naomi Rose, marine mammal scientist for The Humane
Society of the United States, says, “The DNA test results
demonstrate that a ‘legal’ market for whale meat can be a
shield for illegal kills of endangered species. If the
moratorium on commercial whaling is lifted, more endangered
whales will be killed.”
The HSUS is also praising the IWC member countries that
voted to uphold a ruling rejecting Iceland’s membership to the
Commission and maintaining that nation’s observer status in the
meeting. When the commercial whaling ban was passed in 1982,
Iceland could have taken a reservation on the decision,
exempting it from the moratorium. But Iceland accepted the
moratorium and abided by it until, tired of waiting for it to
be lifted yet without immediate plans to return to whaling, the
country quit the IWC in the early 1990’s. Last year and again
this year, Iceland sought member reinstatement, but now with a
reservation on the whaling ban because certain Icelanders do
wish to return to commercial whaling. In short, Iceland wants
to rejoin the IWC but be able to ignore the moratorium on
commercial whaling. The attempt to circumvent the moratorium
was defeated by a vote of 25 to 20.
Dr. Rose stated, “Not allowing Iceland to rejoin the IWC
with a reservation is a victory for everyone concerned, not
just for the IWC treaty but for all treaties. Allowing Iceland
to rejoin with a reservation against the moratorium would have
set a terrible precedent. If you don’t like a provision in a
treaty, even if you accepted it initially, quit! Then after a
few years have passed, rejoin and exempt yourself from the
provision you didn’t like!”
Dr. Rose points out that there are very few reliable
statistics on whale populations. There is a large discrepancy
between current population estimates for the Antarctic
population of minke whales and the last estimate generated in
the late 1980’s, for example. Originally believed to number
760,000, the latest Antarctic minke whale estimate now stands
at 312,000. The reasons for this discrepancy aren’t clear. But,
says Dr. Rose, “it certainly indicates that we aren’t sure of
their numbers and that trying to put in place a quota for the
purposes of commercial whaling could do irreparable harm to
this and other species.”
