Doubts on Japan’s whale trade denial
Saturday, June 7th, 2008Peter Afford, 7/6/08;
Japanese officials deny knowledge of whale meat imported from Iceland and Norway, the first international commercial trade since the early 1990s, although the exporter says it has already been landed and Greenpeace has identified the importer. Government approvals are necessary to import and sell whale meat, but Japanese Fisheries Agency and Customs officials said. yesterday no applications had been received. Earlier, however, the chief executive of the exporter, Icelandic whaling company Hvalur, told the Kyodo news agency a consignment of fin whale meat was undergoing routine customs inspection at a Japanese port. Resumption of the whale trade comes during preparations for another controversial annual meeting of the International Whaling Commission, opening on June 23 in Santiago, Chile, which will be attended by Environment Minister Peter Garrett.
