JAPAN COMMITTEE CONSIDERS WHALING

Fisheries Agency of Japan committee

The Japanese newspaper Yomiuri Shimbun has a report on the Fisheries Agency of Japan whose special review committee is considering an official stop to commercial whaling. After taking evidence on all the options a majority of the committee still favours whaling in the Southern Ocean. However for the first time in its 25 year history a minority of the delegates acknowledged that it might be time to scale back or even stop whaling altogether.

This is a first step and should be encouraged by all anti-whaling groups by giving the minority group the opportunity to influence a voluntary shutdown of all Japanese Whaling operations. One of the factors considered was the fact that Japan Coast Guard would not support the Fisheries Agency of Japan in its whaling operations. Therefore the Fisheries Agency must find some way to secure the safety of the Japanese Whaling Fleet if it does return to the Southern Ocean. Most particularly of course this means protection from the activities of Sea Shepherd which has planned "Operation No Compromise" for the coming season.

So far there is no official Japanese Government reaction to the Fisheries Agency of Japan committee report.

Good Watch.

Please remember the 800 of our fellow seafarers held captive by pirates off Somalia.

Good Watch.

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