Pro-hunting nations gain influence in whaling agency

[LeftyMom]

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2003036603_whaling03.html

"WASHINGTON — Japan and Norway, two nations that have refused to give up large-scale whaling despite widespread condemnation, are on the cusp of gaining control of the international commission that since 1986 has strictly limited whale hunting in an effort to rebuild the population of Earth's largest creatures.

The impending shift, which will be on display when the International Whaling Commission convenes on the island of St. Kitts for its annual meeting on June 16, has alarmed environmentalists and officials from countries that oppose commercial whaling, including the United States, Australia and New Zealand. They note that in recent years Japan has recruited at least 19 countries — many from West Africa and the Caribbean — to join the commission and support expanded whaling.

"Most Americans think the whales have been saved," said Gregory Wetstone, director of U.S. operations for the International Fund for Animal Welfare, an advocacy group. "These populations cannot sustain the kind of pressure that industrial-scale whaling can bring."

In interviews, senior fisheries officials from half a dozen countries, including the United States and Japan, said the commission will face a decisive moment this month." continued at link