GREENPEACE DENOUNCES JAPAN'S ILLEGAL WHALE HUNT

9 November 1999

AMSTERDAM -- Greenpeace today condemned the Japanese government for allowing the resumption of commercial whaling in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary around Antarctica. Japan's whaling fleet consisting of the whaling factory ship Nishin Maru, three catcher ships and a spotter vessel left the southern Japanese port of Shimonoseki today to hunt whales in Antarctica.

The International Whaling Commission (IWC) has formally declared the Southern Ocean around Antarctica a sanctuary for whales and placed it off limits to commercial whaling. Greenpeace called on governments to demand that the Japanese government cancel its Antarctic whaling programnme. The whalers plan to hunt 440 minke whales this year, up from 389 last year.

"It is an outrage that on the brink of a new millennium this whaling fleet is still allowed to ply the seas in complete disregard of international law," said John Frizell, Whale Campaign coordinator for Greenpeace International. "The world's governments must make it clear to Japan that it is not acceptable to blatantly disregard international regulations."

The Southern Ocean sanctuary was created in 1994 by a decision of the IWC, the international body entrusted with conservation and management of the remaining whale populations around the globe. Continued whaling in the Southern Ocean by the Japanese fleet under the guise of 'scientific research' has been repeatedly condemned by the IWC. By ignoring the IWC ban, Japan is undermining the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea which requires that all countries co-operate with the IWC in the conservation of whales.

Japan's whaling in the Southern Ocean is part of an overall effort to resume large-scale commercial whaling throughout the world's oceans. The industry has invested in a new factory ship, purchased in 1991, and a new catcher ship was purpose built in 1998. Sources in the Japanese industry have confirmed that one of the purposes of the 'research' is to train new crews for future whaling. Some $100 million dollars worth of whale meat produced by the 'research' is sold each year on the market in Japan.

"The Japanese government must revoke the license to hunt whales that it has issued to the whalers and abide by international law", added Frizell. "And all governments must make sure that this message is clearly heard in Tokyo."

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:

- John Frizell or Gina Sanchez at Greenpeace International +31 20 524 9547

Sign the Petition for a Global Whale Sanctuary: http://www.greenpeace.org.au/globalwhalesanctuary/index.html