Antarctic whaling may continue

Contrary to reports that Japan may discontinue Antarctic whaling, at the current annual meeting of the International Whaling Commission in Jersey, Joji Morishita said Japan plans to send its whaling fleet back to the Southern Ocean to conduct "research" whaling. The IWC allows scientific research but not commercial whaling, which has been banned worldwide since 1986.

Last year's catch was about 170 whales, far fewer that the original target of 850. The area is a feeding ground for 80 percent of the world's whales and what's going on there is without question, commercial whaling. A resolution submitted at the meeting by the United Kingdom jointly with 16 other European nations urged greater transparency in areas such as "relations between the Commission and its members, procedures for reaching, recording and announcing decisions, and procurement of scientific advice."

Conservationists groups have accused the three whaling nations, Japan, Norway and Iceland, of buying the votes of smaller member countries by paying their membership fees. Australia and Japan clashed after Japan called on Australia to better protect its whaling ships from anti-whaling activists but Environment Minister Tony Burke stated that while Australia would abide by the principles of safety at sea and international maritime law, his country "simply can't agree" to providing more protection to Japanese ships than other vessels operating in the area. Talks on allowing limited commercial whaling broke down last year, and no breakthroughs are expected at IWC talks in Jersey.