Japan to Quit IWC to Resume Commercial Whaling

Tokyo, Dec. 26 (Jiji Press)--The Japanese government said Wednesday that it will withdraw from the International Whaling Commission to resume commercial whaling in July next year for the first time in about 30 years. Japan apparently found it difficult to resume commercial whaling if it stayed in the IWC, where members have remained divided over such whaling for many years, sources familiar with the situation said. IWC member states that focus exclusively on the protection of whales "refused to agree to take any tangible steps toward reaching a common position that would ensure the sustainable management of whale resources," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said in a statement. Despite its withdrawal from the IWC, Japan "remains committed to international cooperation for the proper management of marine living resources," Suga said. "Through its engagement with the IWC as an observer, Japan will continue to contribute to the science-based sustainable management of whale resources," he said. Australia and New Zealand expressed disappointment at Japan's decision to leave the IWC and resume commercial whaling. Japan will restart commercial whaling in Japanese waters and its exclusive economic zones, targeting minke and Bryde's whales, which are confirmed to have sufficient stocks. The number of catches will be set based on a method adopted by the IWC. The whaling area may be reviewed depending on whale stocks and operations, Hideki Moronuki, a senior Fisheries Agency official said, signaling the possibility of expanding into the high seas outside of EEZs. Japan will terminate research whaling. The country will be unable to catch whales in the Antarctic Ocean due to an international treaty, but it will continue research by visual observations. Tokyo will notify the IWC of its withdrawal through diplomatic channels by the end of this month. At a press conference, Suga said Japan will aim to create an alternative to the IWC in the future. Since Japan left the now-dissolved League of Nations in 1933, it has been rare for the country to withdraw from international organizations, according to the Japanese Foreign Ministry. After joining the IWC in 1951, Japan suspended commercial whaling in 1988, following an IWC-imposed moratorium on such catches reflecting concerns over resource depletion. In 1987, the country started research whaling, which is approved by the IWC, to collect data needed for resuming commercial whaling. Currently, Japan annually catches some 630 whales, including minke whales, in the Antarctic Ocean and the northwestern Pacific Ocean. At the IWC's general meeting in Brazil in September, a Japanese proposal to restart commercial whaling was voted down due to opposition from European countries, the United States and other nations. Soon after, Japan said it would examine all options, signaling the possibility of withdrawing from the commission. END