Wellington, Dec 18 (AFP) The European Union and 12 othernations condemned Japan's Antarctic whaling programme today,rejecting Tokyo's argument that the annual slaughter is forscientific research.
Japan's whaling fleet left for the Southern Ocean lastmonth, planning to kill 333 minke whales over a four-monthperiod.
Its fisheries agency says the hunt is needed to studywhale behaviour and biology, but critics say such lethalresearch is unnecessary and acts as a cover for commercialwhaling.
"(We) jointly express... opposition to Japan's continuedso-called 'scientific' whaling in the Southern Ocean," the EUand its allies said in a statement.
"We remain resolutely opposed to commercial whaling, inparticular in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary establishedby the International Whaling Commission (IWC)."In addition to the EU, the letter was signed byArgentina, Australia, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, the DominicanRepublic, Ecuador, Mexico, New Zealand, Panama, Peru andUruguay.
Japan is a signatory to the IWC's moratorium on hunting,but exploits a loophole that allows whales to be killed in thename of scientific research.
In 2014, the UN's International Court of Justice orderedTokyo to end its regular hunt in the Antarctic waters, sayingthe project did not meet conventional scientific standards.
Japan cancelled its 2014-15 hunt, only to resume it thefollowing year under a new programme -- saying the fresh planhad genuine scientific value.
The joint statement noted that the IWC ruled last yearthat the new research programme was not scientific and shouldbe halted.
"Japan's decision to return to the Southern Ocean thisyear is contrary to the commission's requests," it added.
(AFP)KIS.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.