Japan will not give up fight to kick start whaling

A senior Japanese whaling negotiator has declared Tokyo will continue to push for a resumption of commercial whaling despite the recent defeat of its proposal by the International Whaling Commission (IWC).

Fisheries negotiator Hideki Moronuki said the IWC should represent both conservation interests and backers of sustainable use of resources and not act as if it were an anti-whaling group.

IWC imposed a ban on commercial whaling in the 1980s because of dwindling stocks. Japan has instead carried out what it calls research whaling and says stocks have recovered enough for commercial hunts to resume. A proposal to do so was defeated at an IWC meeting in Brazil on 14 September.

Japan has long depended on fisheries resources.