Pro-whaling Japan narrowly failed on Monday in a bold attempt to ensure that voting at the International Whaling Commission (IWC) is carried out in secret.
Japan said secret balloting would allow small nations to vote without fear of economic or political pressure from foreign governments or anti-whaling organisations.
The proposal bitterly divided the 56th annual meeting, but the narrow 29-24 majority voting against the move showed the increased strength of pro-whaling countries ahead of a ballot later this week on a Japanese proposal to overturn the 18-year moratorium on commercial whaling.
As expected, a large bloc of developing nations in receipt of Japanese foreign aid voted for Tokyo’s proposal. Anti-whaling nations and conservation groups have accused Japan of buying votes at the IWC in exchange for foreign aid, in a bid to fulfil its stated aim of overturning the moratorium.
Senegal, Morocco and new member state Côte d’Ivoire, which has come out in favour of commercial whaling, were not allowed to vote because their membership fees were in arrears. But they may be able to participate in subsequent votes.
New members Tuvalu, Mauritania and Surinam all voted with Japan.
Conservation groups pointed out that Denmark, which voted against Japan on the secret ballot issue, would normally be expected to side with Japan on purely whaling matters.
Japan is the world’s largest consumer of whale meat. Along with Iceland, it is currently allowed by the IWC to hunt whales for scientific purposes, which opponents say is commercial whaling in disguise. — Sapa-AFP
Dark clouds on anti-whaling horizon