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TOKYO — Japan cautiously welcomed an International Whaling Commission proposal that would effectively allow commercial whaling for the first time in 25 years — though under strict quotas that the commission says will reduce the global catch.
Despite a 1986 moratorium on whaling, Japan, Norway and Iceland catch whales for various IWC-sanctioned purposes, including scientific research — which opponents such as Australia and conservation activists say are a cover for commercial whaling.
The proposal, to be debated at the IWC’s meeting in June, seeks a compromise by allowing whaling nations to hunt without specifying commercial or otherwise — but in lower numbers than they are now.
