さあ！諸君！捕鯨問題だ！

In the Commission Japan formally submitted its proposal for
an amendment to the Schedule, to add after paragraph 13, a
new paragraph as follows:
Notwithstanding the provision of paragraph 10, the taking of 50
minke whales from the Okhotsk Sea - West Pacific stock of the North
Pacific in the 1996 season is permitted in order to alleviate the
hardship in the community-based whaling communities.
It also, supported by Norway, St Lucia, St Vincent and
The Grenadines, Grenada and the Solomon Islands, put

forward an accompanying Resolution allocating the take of
50 whales to the community based operations in Japan and
recognising the distribution and consumption of the products
according to the Action Plan approved last year.
New Zealand commented that the proposal is substantially
the same as that presented in previous years. Its position is
unchanged and it will not support it. It is unfair to Japan to
hold out hope that the matter might be more favourably
considered in the future if certain issues are addressed. The
New Zealand Commissioner's own visit to the area had
indicated an economically prosperous community distressed
by the inability to continue a centuries old tradition. The
USA supported these views. Japan appreciated this visit and
emphasised the historical and traditional catch of 300 minke
whales a year, prohibited since 1982 despite the healthy
status of the stock.
Denmark favoured small type coastal and traditional
whaling and therefore supported the proposal. Norway
thought the Commission was being unfair to Japan as the
stock could be harvested sustainably and cultural
preferences should not be imposed. Antigua and Barbuda
looked for food security and the harvesting and conservation
of marine resources under the framework of UNCLOS
(United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea) in
balance with tourism. St Lucia understood that a harvest of
50 whales a year would not adversely affect the stock and it
suppofed cultural needs. St Vincent and The Grenadines
looked for flexibility over the commercial aspect, and the
People's Republic of China and Grenada also gave their
support.