Is diplomacy making gains against Japanese whaling?
ROME–Some International Whaling Commission insiders believe the IWC is close to brokering a deal that would allow the Japanese government to end so-called “research whaling” without losing political credibility. Others believe Japanese actions against whaling opponents show that the Japanese government believes it has the upper hand and can force the IWC to reopen commercial whaling, after a 23-year suspension. After initially refusing to honor the 1986 commercial whaling moratorium, Japan in 1988 accepted the moratorium but began killing whales in the name of “scientific research,” continuing to sell whale meat. The 2009 self-allocated Japanese “research” quota includes 935 minke whales and 50 fin whales. The 63rd annual IWC meeting, to be held in Madeira, Portugal, in June 2009, appears likely to open with the U.S. and Australian delegations taking ambiguous positions. Nominally opposed to whaling, both the U.S. and Australian governments appear to endorse concessions that are mostl
