Several countries have expressed their condemnation here Thursday of Japan's so-called scientific whale hunting, during the 60th meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC).
Japan's whale hunting is one of the most sensitive issues of the annual meeting of the IWC, attended by 80 member countries.
The delegations of Mexico, Uruguay, Panama, Argentina and Spain have also criticized the cruelty of Japan's killing methods, through which whales sometimes agonize for as long as one hour.
However, Japan claims that the 1,400 whales it hunts each year are for scientific research, even while soe experts confirm that whale meat is served in Japan's restaurants.
Meanwhile, Japan insists that killing whales with harpoons and explosives is the most effective method.
Up to now, Santa Lucia, which receives Japanese economic aid, is the only Caribbean country that openly supports Japan's hunting. Considering IWC member countries have decided to take action under consensus, it seems that they may not adopt any new resolution to protect whales at this meeting.
IWC member countries have disagreed on whale hunting for years, making it difficult for the IWC to modify the related regulations since 75 percent of votes are required.
Chilean representative Cristian Maquieira said "it's an important fact" that Japan has accepted to put on the agenda the negotiation with the IWC about hunting, though "that negotiation is unpredictable."
During the meeting here, the commission created a work group of24 countries to approach the issues of commercial moratorium, scientific hunting, climate change, whale conservation and non-lethal methods, and the creation of whale sanctuaries.
For the first time, the IWC has listened to the voice of independent organizations against whale hunting, but has not allowed them to attend the closed-door meetings of the work group of 24 countries.
Barbara Galletti, from the Center of Cetacean Conservation of Chile, has talked in the name of 13 organizations in Latin America during the meeting, saying whale conservation is important because they are a tourist attraction for the region.
Galletti also urged the IWC to enhance its modernization and transparency and the strength of the public participation in the discussions.
The Chilean government this week declared one whale sanctuary in its territorial waters, where whale hunting will be prohibited .
On Wednesday the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) accused Greenland of commercializing at least one quarter of the whales it hunts in supermarkets.
The IWC was created in 1946 to protect the whales that were about to become extinct due to indiscriminate hunting.
In 1986 the IWC issued a commercial moratorium on whaling, which was eluded by Japan, which claims that its hunting is just for scientific studies.
Source:Xinhua
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