Humpbacks win reprieve
Published on Dec 22, 2007
Japan has backed down on plans to slaughter humpback whales for "scientific purposes" after strong protests by New Zealand, Australia and 30 other anti-whaling nations.
The controversial Japanese mission to hunt humpback whales in the Antarctic has been temporarily abandoned a top government official says. Nobutaka Machimura said the humpback hunt would not go ahead - although the fleet will still hunt about 1,000 other whales in the area.
The BBC's Chris Hogg, in Tokyo, says Japan is now unlikely to chase the humpbacks for at least a year.
The move comes after pressure from the International Whaling Commission (IWC) and after strong protests by New Zealand, Australia and 30 other anti-whaling nations.
Japan is regularly condemned for its annual whaling missions. But this year's Antarctic expedition was particularly controversial because, in addition to 935 minke whales and 50 fin whales, the fleet intended to kill up to 50 humpbacks.
It was the first time Japan had targeted the humpbacks since a moratorium was introduced in the mid-1960s - when the species had been hunted almost to extinction.
Both Australia and New Zealand have vigorously apposed the whale hunt. New Zealand also led last year's protest against Japan, which had involved 27 countries. New Zealand's Conservation Minister, Steve Chadwick, has said Kiwis remained "at the forefront of international efforts to prevent whaling". By last night more than 6100 people had signed the New Zealand Dominion Post petition at global website GoPetition calling for a halt to Japanese whaling.
GoPetition Eds
Source: BBC and Dominion Post
The controversial Japanese mission to hunt humpback whales in the Antarctic has been temporarily abandoned a top government official says. Nobutaka Machimura said the humpback hunt would not go ahead - although the fleet will still hunt about 1,000 other whales in the area.The BBC's Chris Hogg, in Tokyo, says Japan is now unlikely to chase the humpbacks for at least a year.
The move comes after pressure from the International Whaling Commission (IWC) and after strong protests by New Zealand, Australia and 30 other anti-whaling nations.
Japan is regularly condemned for its annual whaling missions. But this year's Antarctic expedition was particularly controversial because, in addition to 935 minke whales and 50 fin whales, the fleet intended to kill up to 50 humpbacks.
It was the first time Japan had targeted the humpbacks since a moratorium was introduced in the mid-1960s - when the species had been hunted almost to extinction.
Both Australia and New Zealand have vigorously apposed the whale hunt. New Zealand also led last year's protest against Japan, which had involved 27 countries. New Zealand's Conservation Minister, Steve Chadwick, has said Kiwis remained "at the forefront of international efforts to prevent whaling". By last night more than 6100 people had signed the New Zealand Dominion Post petition at global website GoPetition calling for a halt to Japanese whaling.
GoPetition Eds
Source: BBC and Dominion Post