More news from IWC54 in Shimonoseki, Japan

20 May 2002
"Komatsu" offers sanpou gold in exchange for votes

Greenpeace activists dressed up as Japan’s senior Fisheries Agency official Masayuki Komatsu, tempted developing nations with “gold” in exchange for their votes as delegates arrived for the opening plenary session of the 54th meeting of the International Whaling Commission got underway.

Sanpou is a traditional Japanese tray for offerings to God or Buddha at religious ceremonies. It is also commonly seen in Japanese drama about the Edo era, when it was used by 17th century businessmen to slip “under the table” money to their feudal lords to win a monopoly for their business.

The Fishery Agency of Japan (FAJ) is using fisheries grant aid to buy the votes of developing countries. This strategy has been in place since the early 1990s. Documented evidence includes statements made by high-ranking Japanese officials and the testimony of Prime Minister Lester Bird of Antigua and Barbuda, one of the bought countries.

Vote buying by the FAJ holds vulnerable developing nations to ransom, exploiting their desperate need for financial aid. It undermines their sovereignty and independence and makes them poorer in the long run, because the decisions made on their behalf are not in their best interests.

Countries are seduced by the FAJ into selling themselves out in the short term, instead of adopting sustainable development practices that will enrich them from now into the future.

In 1999, the FAJ vote buying offensive was stepped up with Guinea joining the IWC in 2000 and Morocco and Panama joining in 2001. All three consistently voted in line with Japan.

In the last week Benin, Gabon, Palau and Mongolia have all joined and are expected to vote in favour of a resumption of commercial whaling.

The Japanese government’s vote buying is the greatest threat to the future of the world’s remaining whales. These votes added to those of the pro-whaling countries may provide the Government of Japan with a simple majority. These countries are voting for resumed commercial whaling not because countries are changing their minds, but because the votes have been bought.

Although overturn the moratorium requires a three quarters majority vote, with a simple majority, the Government of Japan will be able to change the rules of procedure and introduce secret ballots, something it has been pushing for a number of years.

The introduction of secret ballots would mean countries are unaccountable for their actions and flies in the face of the current trend for increased transparency in international fora.

Help put pressure on countries bought by Japan

You can help put pressure on three of the newest countries bought by the Japanese government and ask them to stand up for whale conservation, not commercial whaling by sending a fax to the Foreign

Send a fax to the minister of Palau.

Send a fax to the minister of Benin in Africa.

Send a fax to Gabon.