Tinned whale meat from Japan
Japan wants to resume large-scale commercial whaling. Unable to persuade the International Whaling Commission (IWC) to lift the current moratorium on commercial whaling, Japan has resorted to recruiting new countries into the IWC to help them gain their objective. This recruitment process involves offering fisheries aid to coastal countries in exchange for support of Japan's whaling policies.
Japan has successfully recruited ten nations into the IWC: six East Caribbean states, (Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, St Kitts and Nevis), the Solomon Islands, Morocco and Guinea. All of these countries regularly attend the IWC and speak in favour of a resumption of commercial whaling, voting in line with Japan.
As a result of this strategy Japan has already assembled a blocking minority within the IWC. Last year this minority prevented the creation of a South Pacific Whale Sanctuary (SPWS), largely due to the votes cast against the proposal by Japan and the Eastern Caribbean countries
At this years IWC in July the South Pacific nations are again calling for a whale sanctuary, as they are committed to protecting whales in their waters.
To combat Japan's vote buying within the International Whaling Commission (IWC), Greenpeace has sent a letter to the Japanese Government requesting that they publicly guarantee promises of aid to all IWC members, regardless of how aid recipients vote at the IWC.
