Japan threat may sink whale body
Wednesday, June 25th, 200825/6/08
Japan has gone on the attack at the opening of the International Whaling Commission annual meeting in Chile, accusing Australia of bringing nothing to the negotiating table. The Japanese Government, a financial backer of the nation’s whaling fleet, also complained of a lack of rational decision-making at the IWC and described it as “dysfunctional”. A possible resumption in commercial whaling is expected to split the meeting of the 80-member IWC in Santiago. Australia wants to reform the IWC into a conservation body. But Japan has threatened to resume commercial whaling after a suspension of more than 20 years, in a gesture of defiance towards conservationists and anti-whaling governments.
