Japan and Norway's whale hunts in the North Pacific and North Atlantic Ocean

Harpoon used to shoot whales. © Greenpeace

This year's northern spring brought the departure of whaling fleets from both Japan and Norway and a renewed effort by these countries to lift the international ban on commercial whaling, for the second time in a row. Both fleets set out in early May; Japan for the North Pacific to hunt a self-allocated quota of 160 Sperm, Bryde's and Minke whales; and Norway sent 30 vessels out for the North Atlantic ocean to catch 549 Minke whales. Both countries have been fiercely lobbying to lift the ban on commercial whaling, and are ignoring the law in the meantime.

Japan's research program

Japan conducts it whaling program under the guise of "scientific research". This so-called 'scientific' hunt is in reality a commercial enterprise: the whale meat and blubber that comes from Japan's whale 'research' is sold commercially in Japan at a value of four billion yen every year. No other country uses lethal methods to research whales.

Japan has been defying the ban on commercial whaling since it came into effect in 1986. It has unilaterally increased the number and species of whales it takes under the guise of 'scientific research'. The International Whaling Commission (IWC), the international body which regulates whaling, does not endorse the hunt and has strongly urged Japan to call it off.

Last summer, the Japanese whaling fleet resumed their catch in the North Pacific taking 88 whales including five Sperm whales and 43 Bryde's whales, the species with the highest commercial value. In April the fleet returned from the Southern ocean with whale meat worth up to US$33 million on the Japanese market.

Greenpeace whales campaigner John Frizell says this hunt has nothing to do with research, it's about making money. "Last summer they 'discovered' that sperm whales eat squid," said Frizell. "But this has been known for at least a century. And they neglected to mention that the squid that these whales eat live so deep and swim so fast that humans can't catch them." In recent years, Japan has increased the resources it devotes to its whaling programs and has undertaken a major effort to overturn the ban on commercial whaling.

Japanese whalers in the Southern oceans. ©Greenpeace

Japan's influence at the IWC is increasing as a result of its vote-buying initiative. Japan has also invested heavily in a public relations offensive designed to convince the public that whaling is culturally and economically important to Japan and that whales eat too many fish and threaten the conservation of fish stocks, a claim for which there is no scientific basis.

In spite of international opposition, Japan's hunt may continue to expand. As the fleet departed for the North Pacific ocean this year, the Japanese wire service Kyodo reported that "[w]haling of the three species for the second consecutive year is designed to provide data for Japan's plan to launch full-scale research whaling in 2002."

Norway aims to export

Norway resumed commercial whaling in 1993 as an attempt by the political party in power at the time to gain popularity in northern Norway.

In order to justify its hunt, Norwegian scientists calculated a population estimate, which was later found to be much higher than the data supported. The scientific controversy surrounding Norway's population estimates for Minke whales continues today, but even if the populations could be accurately determined, Norway's whale hunt still directly undermines the authority of the IWC. Yet much of the whale meat from past hunts remains frozen in storage facilities around the country. But this year's hunt may be different. Whalers expect to export the whale meat to Japan for greater profit since Norway has decided to ignore the international ban on the trade of whale products. Brochures published by the Norwegian government claim that whale meat is sold in Norway where it is a traditional part of the Norwegian diet. The reality is that there is little market for the meat in Norway.

The real goal of Norway's whalers is export to Japan where prices paid for whale meat are several times higher than in Norway. Based on this year's whaling quota, the meat and blubber may fetch up to US$5.5 million for the Norwegian whalers. One whaler commented to the press "When export is reopened, who ever has a license to whale will be sitting on a gold mine."

In January 2001, the Norwegian Government announced that it would allow exports to resume although a proposal to lift the ban on trade in whale products failed at the previous meeting of the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). A spokesperson for the whalers' public relations arm described the government's decision to allow the export as 'the final victory'.

Greenpeace whale campaigner Frode Pleym says that in reality, the resumption of commercial whaling and the opening of the export are attempts by the political party in power to gain further popularity in northern Norway and provide an unofficial subsidy for the fishing industry.

"They are using this as an alibi to help northern coastal communities as the parliamentary election approaches in September," said Pleym.

Norway's whaling program and export to Japan will further jeopardise the worldwide moratorium on commercial whaling and whale populations.

Pirate whalers will inevitably take advantage of the cover provided by this trade to smuggle illegal whale meat, from endangered as well as the more abundant species of whale, into Japan. "If all countries followed Norway's example with respect to CITES, we would have no international control over trading in endangered wildlife whatsoever," said Frode Plyem.

South Pacific whale sanctuary sunk by Japanese vote buying

South Pacific Nations, committed to protecting whales in their waters, have repeatedly requested the establishment of a whale sanctuary. Sadly, they were again denied their right to a South Pacific Whale Sanctuary (SPWS) at the International Whaling Commission meeting held in London in July 2001, as a result of Japanese vote-buying.

Japan has assembled a blocking minority within the IWC that vote with Japan in return for Overseas Development Aid - Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Rep of Guinea, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and The Grenadines and Panama.

It was the opposition from Japan, Norway and this block of countries that again prevented the sanctuary proposal from achieving the three quarters majority it needed to be adopted. Read more about the defeat of the South Pacific whale sanctuary at this year's IWC. Although representatives of the Japanese whaling industry have repeatedly rejected accusations of vote buying, Japan has admitted using overseas aid to buy support from developing countries in the Caribbean and elsewhere. Namibia and Gabon, who recently signed lucrative fisheries deals with Japan, have now become observers of the IWC. It is expected that by next year's IWC meeting in Shimonoseki, Japan, May 2002, Namibia and Gabon will have become fully fledged members and will vote in support of Japan and Norway's pro- whaling initiatives. Japan and Norway are now perilously close to bringing about an end to the moratorium on commercial whaling. In a few years they could command a simple majority of countries within the IWC, potentially resulting in the resumption of commercial whaling.

Whale meat on sale in Japan. © Greenpeace

Don't let it happen. Find out what you can do to oppose Japanese vote-buying, to prevent Japan's next whale hunt and a return to full scale commercial whaling.