IWC BOWS TO PRESSURE FROM JAPAN FOR SECRET VOTING

IWC BOWS TO PRESSURE FROM JAPAN FOR SECRET VOTING
Monaco/Amsterdam, 24 October 1997
As the International Whaling Commission (IWC) meeting in Monaco drew to a close today (Friday), Greenpeace warned that the Commission was in danger of losing its credibility after it decided to seriously consider a Japanese plan allowing delegates to vote in secret.
At the same time as the IWC agreed to further examine proposals by Ireland --concerned about the loopholes allowing Japan and Norway to kill over a thousand whales a year -- the Commission said it would also be considering Japan's suggestion to allow the IWC to vote in secret.
Greenpeace supports certain elements of the Irish proposal -- including an end to the killing of whales for scientific purposes, the banning of international trade in whale products and the establishment of a global whale sanctuary -- but remains opposed to the reintroduction of coastal whaling.
"It is ironic that at the same meeting that delegates agreed that the IWC needed to find solutions to the continued flouting by Japan and Norway of the whaling moratorium they should even consider such a blatant attempt to make the Commission's decision-making process less transparent and democratic," said Greenpeace campaigner John Frizell. "Japan is simply trying to find a way to conceal the voting record of the Caribbean states it brings to vote with it."
"This is one step forward and another step back. The secret ballot proposal should have been rejected out of hand."
However Greenpeace welcomed a resolution strongly urging Japan to stop its commercial whaling under the guise of 'scientific' whaling in the Antarctic whale sanctuary, following a scientific review of the program which found that its results were 'not required for management'.
"For years we have been saying that this 'research' is not needed," said Frizell. "And now this has been vindicated by the IWC's own scientists. We call on Japan to cancel this program immediately - including the factory ship being prepared for another voyage even as the meeting is underway and expected to sail in the first week of November."
Greenpeace also applauded an IWC call on Norway to halt immediately all whaling activities under its jurisdiction.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT
James Gillies or John Frizell on ++31 6 5350 4721