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What now for the whales of Japan?

What now for the whales of Japan?

Antarctic minke whale alongside Japanese whaling ship.

News that Shinzo Abe is stepping down as Japan’s prime minister could be another nail in the coffin for the country’s whaling industry. It offers the Japanese government a rare opportunity to press the reset button on a practice which costs it dearly, in subsidies and international reputation. Abe is Japan’s longest serving prime minister.…

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Whalers turn whale watchers

WDC and the Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Environment Fund are celebrating the launch of two boats that will be dedicated to whale and wildlife watching tours. The two vessels will operate out of Barrouallie, a place better known for the hunting of pilot whales, orcas and some species of dolphins. However, since 2014, WDC has supported…

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Whaling in Japan, who wins and who loses?

As the G20 global leaders meet in Japan, Whale and Dolphin Conservation’s CEO, Chris Butler-Stroud reflects on the political motivations that keep the whaling industry alive, despite the fact that up to 95% of Japanese people very rarely or never eat whale meat. So it would appear that those in control of Japanese whaling policy…

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Icelandic fin whales win a reprieve this summer

I can’t tell you how delighted I am at the news that fin whales will swim in peace off Iceland – this summer at least. Last summer’s whaling season was particularly chaotic and distressing as the whalers killed 146 fin whales, including two rare blue whale/fin whale hybrids, and numerous pregnant females. A majestic fin…

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Icelandic whaling report raises concerns

A long-anticipated report into the economic impact of Icelandic whaling has been released and raises a number of concerns.  Commissioned by the Icelandic government’s Ministry of Industries and Innovation, which includes the pro-whaling Fisheries Ministry, the report is authored by the University of Iceland’s Institute of Economic Studies, and concludes that whaling is of overall benefit to the…

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Japan officially announces intention to start commercial whaling again

Today the Japanese government confirmed its withdrawal from the International Whaling Commission (IWC – the international body that regulates whale hunting) in order to officially resume commercial whaling.  Yoshihide Suga, Japan’s chief cabinet secretary, said in a statement the hunts would start in July 2019. In 1982, the IWC introduced a ban on all commercial…

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Japan to withdraw from International Whaling Commission and start hunting whales for commercial profit

The Japanese government has decided to withdraw from the International Whaling Commission (IWC – the international body that regulates whale hunting) so that it can begin hunting whales for commercial profit. In doing so, Japan has effectively turned its back on international co-operation around the regulation of whale hunting. In 1982, the IWC introduced a…

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A new opportunity to stop Japan’s whaling?

Last Wednesday, the European Parliament voted ‘yes’ to the EU-Japan free trade agreement (or Economic Partnership Agreement). It also agreed to a closely related strategic partnership agreement with Japan. This marked the end of our campaign to use these trade talks to get better protection for whales from the harpoons of Japanese whalers. Our aim…

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Will Japan leave the International Whaling Commission?

Every now and again whaling interests in Japan call on their government to leave the International Whaling Commission (IWC, the body that regulates whaling). ‘JEXIT’ as one commentator noted, trying to be clever. This is not the first time that Japan has threatened to leave the IWC. Seemingly used as a negotiating tool, it has…

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