- SORRENTO, Italy (AFP) --
Japan, determined to overturn an 18-year moratorium on commercial whaling,
was accused of mounting a "hostile takeover" of the International
Whaling Commission (IWC) by using foreign aid to buy the votes of developing
countries.
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- The allegations came from an alliance of anti-whaling
groups, including the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and Greenpeace, on the
margins of the 56th annual IWC meeting in Italy.
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- The opening day of the four-day meeting has heard strong
calls for a resumption of commercial whaling from a resurgent pro-whaling
lobby led by Japan.
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- But the non-profit anti-whaling groups launched a scathing
attack on Japan, saying it was intent on buying its way to supremacy at
the IWC, which introduced a moratorium on commercial whaling in 1986.
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- "This is the hostile takeover of the IWC,"
John Frizell of Greenpeace told journalists in Sorrento.
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- Acting IWC chairman Roland Schmitten of the United States
called a private commissioner's meeting to discuss the allegations, which
was convening late Monday.
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- Susan Lieberman of the WWF claimed astute use of foreign
aid by Japan had brought the pro-whaling countries almost to parity with
anti-whaling members within the 57-member organisation, which has grown
so quickly that officials were unclear early Monday whether membership
was 56 or 57.
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- "We can't delude ourselves that if foreign aid money
by Japan is used to bring more countries in, then in the future or at this
meeting later on this week, they will prevail and delete conservation issues
from the agenda."
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- The WWF said the pro-whaling bloc had increased from
nine states in 2000 to 15 in 2001 and 21 in 2003, and could reach up to
27 this year.
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- Japan failed narrowly on Monday to have IWC votes taken
by secret ballot, which it claimed would protect smaller states from economic
and political pressure from anti-whaling countries and organisations.
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- The close margin of defeat, by 29 votes to 24, was greeted
as an ominous development by anti-whaling groups, which pointed out that
new recruits to the IWC this year include pro-Japan Ivory Coast, Tuvalu,
Mauritania, and Suriname.
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- However, Ivory Coast and other pro-whaling states Morocco
and Senegal were unable to vote because their annual membership fees had
yet to be paid.
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- "The key issue in the IWC is the very credibility
of the forum. If we leave this meeting with the pro-whaling countries having
a minority of only one, then that doesn't mean that's a victory for conservation,"
said Lieberman.
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- "Some of the new states of the European Union are
not here because of threats by Japan to remove foreign investment,"
Lieberman alleged.
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- "We have to ask why are these countries not here
and what can be done by countries that are here and who are pro-conservation
to balance that."
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- Japanese officials have already expressed satisfaction
that the balance was gradually being tipped in favour of pro-whaling states,
although it will take a three-quarters majority to end the moratorium,
unlikely this year or next.
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- "The issue is not whether or not it's happening,
the problem is that if you remove these distorted votes this would be a
strong conservation treaty organisation which really we would argue, it
was meant to be," according to Fred O'Regan of the International Fund
for Animal Welfare (IFAW).
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- Joth Singh, director of the Caribbean Conservation Association,
said local economies were "in general very fragile" so it was
understandable why Japan would be encouraged to provide aid.
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- "But there are strong objections in the Caribbean,
particularly within civil society, over this particular position. There
is evidence that voting patterns, for instance, are somewhat consistent
with Japan's wishes."
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- http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=1511&ncid=1511&e=
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