JAPAN
REBUTS WHALE
SANCTUARY AT PACIFIC ISLAND
LEGISLATORS' MEETING
 Japan refuted
Australia/New Zealand's joint proposal for establishing a South Pacific
whale sanctuary, which was voted down at the 54th annual meeting of
the IWC in Shimonoseki, Japan, in May 2002.
Speaking at the
21st General Assembly of the Association of Pacific Island Legislatures
(APIL) June 19 to 20, 2002, in the Republic of Palau, Akira Nakamae,
councillor of the Fisheries Agency of Japan, stressed that "the
proposed sanctuary has no scientific basis, and has not been recommended
by the IWC Scientific Committee." "It
is a sanctuary for politicians,notwhales, Nakamae said, since it provides
no protection for whales beyond that already provided by the IWC's
management regime. Japan feels that it is a completely superfluous
undertaking.
The sanctuary also ignores the issue of predators in the maintenance
of a healthy marine ecosystem. Many developing countries have been
suffering from damage caused by the plundering of marine mammals in
various types of fisheries."
Japan was invited
for the first time as a guest speaker to this meeting to present its
views on the conservation and management of highly migratory species
such as tuna and whales in the Pacific Ocean, although Japan is not
a member of APIL.
 Nakamae
noted that Japan promotes the view that all marine living resources,
including whales, should be utilized in a sustainable manner as long
as the general principles of the precautionary approach are recognized.
Therefore, Japan cannot and will not accept an approach which excludes
a certain species from being harvested on unscientific grounds.
He reminded the
meeting that it is important to understand that the International
Whaling Commission was established to manage whaling on a sustainable
basis. The IWC is not an organization for the total protection of
whales. Its purpose is to ensure the sustainable use of whale resources,
he said.
"However,"
he continued, "some of the IWC members argue that all whales
should be protected, regardless of their population status. They are
opposed to the use of even a single whale as a matter of principle.They
ignore the scientific findings that many whale species are abundant
and increasing. This is particularly true for minke whales, Bryde's
whales and sperm whales. This is not just the view of Japan, |
but the conclusion of the Scientific Committee of the IWC as well."
"Anti-whaling
countries also ignore the magnitude of the problem of fish consumption
by whales. It is widely known that whales consume three to five times
the amount of marine resources harvested for human consumption. Whale/fisheries
interaction has become a major issue worldwide. Indeed, the 24th Session
of FAO Committee on Fisheries in 2001 unanimously agreed that the
FAO should conduct studies on interaction between fisheries and marine
mammals," Nakamae concluded.
APIL members
showed understanding to the Japanese position regarding whaling issue
and adopted a resolution recognizing the importance of a continued
dialogue among member nations and other countries in the region on,
inter alia, the relationship between marine mammals and fisheries
and the proposed South Pacific whale sanctuary.
POLL SHOWS MORE THAN 70%
JAPANESE SUPPORT
SCIENCE-BASED WHALING
An opinion poll on the whaling issue resulted in strong showing in
support of whaling based on scientific findings, according to the
Prime Minister's Office.
The poll was
conducted by the Office using the following questionnaire on 5,000
adults between December 13-23, 2001.
QUESTION 1
Can we harvest
abundant minke whales if they are managed based on scientific ground
so that no negative impact may be given to the population as a whole?
YES 75.5% ...NO 9.9%
QUESTION 2
Should whaling
along the coast of Japan having social, cultural and historical significance
be permitted if the resources are properly managed?
YES 71.9% ...NO 10.4%
QUESTION 3
Is there a need
to carry out scientific research on the impact of predation by cetaceans
in the Japanese coastal area?
YES 81.3% ...NO 6.9%
QUESTION 4
Should whales
be granted a special status and no harvest of them should take place
even when their population is abundant?
YES 22.6% ...NO 53.0% |
