whaling

Japan votes against protecting last 100 Western North Pacific gray whales

Last edited 27 July 2001 at 8:00am
International Whaling Commission 53: Greenpeace keep an eye on proceedings

International Whaling Commission 53: Greenpeace keep an eye on proceedings

The delegation of Japan showed its true colours today by voting against a proposal that encouraged all nations to treat as a matter of absolute urgency any measures that would help to protect a small population of Western North Pacific Gray Whales.

This population is down to about 100 individuals and is listed as critically endangered in the same way as the black rhinoceros, mountain gorilla and Southern blue-fin tuna.

Article tagged as: IWC, japan, oceans, western north pacific gray whales, whaling

British ex-whaler speaks out in support of the global whaling ban

Last edited 25 July 2001 at 8:00am
Ex-whaler John BurtonBritish ex-whaler John Burton worked on British whaling ships in the late 1940s and early 1950s. He is attending the International Whaling Commission meeting this week to relate his experiences of life onboard a factory whaling vessel, and explain why he now supports a ban on commercial whaling. You can read his story here:
Article tagged as: IWC, oceans, whales, whaling

Japanese vote buying sinks South Pacific Whale Sanctuary

Last edited 24 July 2001 at 8:00am
International Whaling Commission 53: Greenpeace keep an eye on proceedings

International Whaling Commission 53: Greenpeace keep an eye on proceedings

IWC conference update: day 2

Bad news today at the IWC when measures to further protect the world's whales were undermined when South Pacific nations were denied their right to a South Pacific Whale Sanctuary (SPWS). Opposition from Japan, Norway and the block of countries that vote with Japan in return for Overseas Development Aid, prevented the sanctuary proposal from achieving the three quarters majority it needed to be adopted.

Article tagged as: IWC, japan, norway, oceans, whaling

Japanese vote buying sinks South Pacific Whale Sanctuary

Last edited 24 July 2001 at 8:00am
24 July, 2001

Measures to further protect the world's whales were today undermined when South Pacific nations were denied their right to a South Pacific Whale Sanctuary (SPWS). Opposition from Japan, Norway and the block of countries that vote with Japan in return for Overseas Development Aid (1), prevented the sanctuary proposal from achieving the three quarters majority it needed to be adopted.

Article tagged as: IWC, japan, oceans, press releases, sanctuaries, south pacific, whaling

Greenpeace urges Norway to condemn Japanese vote buying

Last edited 24 July 2001 at 8:00am
Greenpeace action against whaling in NorwayAs the International Whaling Commission meets in London this week, Greenpeace urged the Norwegian Prime Minister to publicly distance Norway from its traditional pro-whaling ally, Japan.


This follows last week's startling admission from a senior Japanese official that Japan has been using development aid to buy votes at the International Whaling Commission (IWC).

Article tagged as: IWC, london, norway, oceans, sanctuaries, vote buying, whaling

Whale watching and Caribbean island tourism

Last edited 23 July 2001 at 8:00am
Publication date: 
23 July, 2001

The Global whale watching industry

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Article tagged as: IWC, reports, whale watching, whaling

Norwegian whaling - an export driven industry

Last edited 23 July 2001 at 8:00am
Publication date: 
23 July, 2001

Norway resumed commercial whaling in 1993 despite the fact that the International Whaling Commission (IWC) moratorium on all commercial whaling had been in effect since 1986. The political party in government in Norway at the time took the decision in order to stem the decline in its popularity with voters in northern Norway. It was able to do so because Norway lodged an objection to the IWC's moratorium decision in 1982 and so is not technically bound by it.

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Article tagged as: IWC, reports, whale blubber, whaling

Vote Buying: Japan's strategy to secure a return to large-scale whaling

Last edited 23 July 2001 at 8:00am
Publication date: 
23 July, 2001

Japan's agenda within the International Whaling Commission (IWC) is self-evident - it wants a return to large-scale commercial whaling and is prepared to go to extreme lengths to achieve its goal. Unable to persuade the IWC to lift the current moratorium on commercial whaling Japan has, since the early 1990s, been openly operating a "vote consolidation operation"1 . The primary purpose of this operation is to recruit new member states to the IWC that will vote with Japan in favour of commercial whaling.

Download the report:
Article tagged as: IWC, japan, reports, vote buying, whaling

Iceland fail in bid to rejoin IWC without abiding by whaling ban

Last edited 23 July 2001 at 8:00am
IWC53: Watching the whalers

IWC53: Watching the whalers

IWC conference update: day 1

The first item on the International Whaling Commission's (IWC) agenda today was a long and complicated attempt by Iceland (backed by Japan, Norway and the at least nine countries whose votes Japan has very obviously bought) to re-join the IWC while rejecting the moratorium on whaling implemented by the IWC in 1986.

Luckily, even after a series of votes and legal manouvres by the pro-whaling nations, this was unsucessful! Iceland meantime made their intentions clear - saying that they wanted the moratorium on whaling overturned as quickly as possible so that whaling can resume.

Article tagged as: iceland, IWC, moratorium, oceans, vote buying, whaling

Japanese whaling

Last edited 23 July 2001 at 8:00am
Publication date: 
23 July, 2001

The truth behind the Fisheries Agency of Japan's public relations campaign

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Article tagged as: IWC, japan, reports, whaling