Brussels, 11/02/2008 (Agence Europe) - On Friday 8 February, the European Commission once again voiced its concern at whale hunting practised by Japan. Australia has published terrible photographs showing a female and its calf, which had just been harpooned, on board a Japanese whaling vessel.
On 20 November last year, the Commission had protested against the announcement made by Japan that it was to kill 1000 whales for the purposes of “scientific research” (EUROPE 9548). Japan is using a derogation from the International Whaling Commission (IWC) to get round the international moratorium of 1986 on the hunting of these marine mammals.
As the European Union is not yet a member of the IWC (where it has observer status), the Commission is unable to negotiate on behalf of the EU in this body. Therefore it made proposals last December for the member states of the EU to define a common position ahead of the next meeting of the IWC, to be held in June. The Commission is concerned at new attempts on Japan's part to have the international ban lifted. In the view of the European Commission, the Union should have a common position against whale hunting and defend the ban on hunting for scientific reasons at international level. European legislation in this field is extremely clear - whale hunting is banned in all Community waters.
The international ban on commercial whaling does not cover aboriginal people hunting whales, which, in virtue of IWC legislation, is permitted for Denmark (rorqual hunting in Greenland) Russia (grey whale stalking in Siberia), Saint-Vincent-et-les Grenadines (humpback whales) and the United States (including great polar whale hunting in Alaska). In a press release, the Commission explains the EU is not opposed to subsistence hunting, designed to ensure the survival of aboriginal populations. (L.C.)