THE harpoons are out. Norway鈥檚 whaling fleet is setting sail this week, with a kill quota of 999 minke whales. The mammals will be caught for meat, and 90 per cent are likely to be pregnant females. And Japan鈥檚 fleet has just returned to port with its cargo of 333 minkes, but will be heading out again soon to catch endangered sei whales in the north Pacific Ocean, claiming it is for scientific research.
This comes as yet another condemns as unnecessary the killing of whales for scientific research. Issued by a panel of the 鈥� the body that introduced a moratorium on commercial whaling in 1996 鈥� the report rejects the rationale behind Japan鈥檚 proposal for killing whales in the north Pacific for scientific research. 鈥淭he proposal does not adequately justify the need for lethal sampling,鈥� the report says. The panel recommends no whales should be killed until additional work is undertaken and reviewed.
鈥淎n expert report doesn鈥檛 see any value in Japan鈥檚 scientific whale hunting. It鈥檚 utterly pointless鈥�
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Conservation groups say the panel鈥檚 report adds to mounting evidence that Japan鈥檚 鈥渟cientific whaling鈥� programme has no scientific justification.
鈥淚t鈥檚 yet another example that when an independent panel looks at the science, they can鈥檛 see any value in it,鈥� says , from the International Fund for Animal Welfare. 鈥淚t鈥檚 so utterly pointless.鈥�
Norway, meanwhile, continues whaling for commercial purposes.
This article appeared in print under the headline 鈥淥pen whale season鈥�
