Science, Culture or Commerce?

Publication date: May 2002

Summary
On the 6th November 2001, the Japanese whaling fleet left for Antarctic waters to hunt 440 minke whales. Japan claims that this hunt is for 'scientific research' but in reality it is just one tactic in a long-term strategy orchestrated by the Fisheries Agency of Japan (FAJ) to re-establish large-scale commercial whaling.

Today the FAJ is dangerously close to reaching its goal. With huge resources to back its campaign, the Agency has been steadily expanding its whaling operations. Now, by recruiting countries into the International Whaling Commission (IWC) with offers of Overseas Development Assistance (see the Greenpeace briefing Buying a Return to Commercial Whaling), it is a short step away from overturning the current ban on commercial whaling.