The reality of vote buying
The main reason behind this reversal is the Japanese
government's determined, and expensive, vote buying program. Japan
has one of the world's largest economies (third globally by
purchasing power), and it is no secret Japan leverages foreign aid
for political gain. As reported recently in the
Taipei Times:
Earlier this year it [Japan] pledged more than US$1 million to
the Pacific island of Tuvalu, a pro-whaling IWC member, and has
reached similar deals with Nauru and Kiribati and other desperately
poor countries in the Pacific. Last week it is believed to have
offered a large aid package to other Pacific countries. It has also
invited the heads of state of seven African countries and eight
Caribbean and Central American countries to visit Tokyo in the last
year. All are expected to vote with Japan at St Kitts.
At least US$300 million was given last year to Antigua,
Dominica, Grenada, Panama, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines,
and St Kitts and Nevis.
(Friday, Jun 02, 2006)
Japan's whalers are so certain their control of the IWC is
assured, last whaling season they increased their self allotted
Antarctic quota to a maximum of 945 whales - including 10
endangered fin whales (second in size only to blue whales).
In the 2007/8 it goes higher as they up the number of fin to 50,
and add another 50 endangered humpbacks on top of that. The
whalers already catch so many whales there isn't room on their
factory ship for all the meat, and a refrigerated cargo ship is
sent to the Antarctic to take boxes of whale meat back to Japan.
Even still, they dump tons of whale overboard - taking home only
the more profitable cuts. After all, why not? Who is there to
tell them otherwise? Up till now, the IWC has regularly condemned
Japan's so called "scientific" whaling, but with the whaler's in
control it will more likely pat them on the back.
Governments stand up to whaling
Some of the governments that helped enact the Southern Ocean
Whale Sanctuary (1994) and moratorium on commercial whaling (1986)
have, in fact, tried to protect these gains. This past year 17
nations (including Brazil, Australia and the UK) issued a strongly
worded diplomatic demarche pointing out:
"Japan is now killing more whales in the Antarctic every year
than it killed for scientific research in the 31 years prior to the
introduction of the moratorium on commercial whaling."
The governments further expressed "grave concerns" that the
ongoing hunt, "will undermine the long-term viability," of both fin
and humpback whales.
But it looks like this strong diplomatic action, and ministerial
level visits to some new IWC members, will not be enough to keep
Japan from taking over. The reality is that the Japanese
government has chosen to spend more money and political capital on
whaling than governments in favour of protecting the whales. There
is on some levels probably a disbelief that the whalers can win
back control of the IWC - intuitively it just doesn't make sense
considering the mess they made of it before sanity prevailed in the
early eighties. But for years now the warning signs have been
clear. No matter what happens at this year's meeting, it should be
a wake up call for the conservation minded governments of the
world.
So who is there left to stop whaling?
Mostly the people reading these words. From here on it's
largely down to us. And around the world individuals are banding
together in common cause to defend the whales. During the last
whaling season we took on Nissui - one of the world's largest
seafood companies and also a one-third shareholder in Kyodo
Senpaku, which owns and operates the whaling fleet.
Across the planet, Nissui subsidiaries heard from angry
shoppers. Organizations like the Humane Society and Environmental
Investigations Agency joined in. Greenpeace Ocean Defenders sent a
total of 100,000 emails to Nissui-related companies. And Nissui
lost seafood supply contracts in Argentina after Ocean Defenders
placed stickers denouncing whaling on Nissui products in
supermarkets and sent more than 20,000 emails.
Before the whaling season was over, Nissui had decided to get
out of the whaling industry because, as reported in the Nikkan
Kugyo Shimbun (Daily Industry):
"Overseas subsidiaries are having big problems. As our business
has globalized, whaling has become a hidden risk", said Mr. Naoya
Itagaki, the president of Nissui which takes the brunt of the
criticisms against its involvement in whaling because of their
share holding position in Kyodo-Senpaku.
(June 8th 2006, morning edition, Greenpeace translation)
In reality, Nissui's move was simply good business sense. Aside
from international pressure, demand for whale meat has plummeted,
even in Japan. Stockpiles of whale meat there have nearly doubled
over the last decade to 5,000 tonnes. There's so much unwanted
whale meat that it's being sold as doggie treats, and an expanded
school lunch program is in the works - with the hope of getting
Japanese kids used to eating it. The whaling industry in Norway is
experiencing similar difficulties.
Would Japan's take over of the International Whaling Commission
be a disastrous setback for the whales? Yes. But would it be the
end of the story? We will see about that.
For updates from our delegates in St Kitts see the
Defending Our Oceans political blog.
Take action
Ask representatives of the governments who voted for the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary to defend it.
Be an Ocean Defender
Join the Defending Our Oceans team.