Japan plays commercial whaling card

WASHINGTON (Kyodo) Japan has indicated to member countries of the International Whaling Commission that it may resume commercial whaling if the IWC fails to alleviate tensions between the pro- and antiwhaling camps before the end of its general meeting a year from now in Portugal, sources said.

Seeking a breakthrough on the moratorium on commercial whaling since 1986, the government notified IWC member countries, "We will review our relationship with the IWC, and possibly resume whale catches in our own way" if the commission's talks on the resumption of commercial whaling do not make progress before the end of the meeting next June, the sources said Saturday.

At last year's general meeting, Japan indicated it may withdraw from the IWC or resume major whale hunts after facing strong opposition to its proposal to allow small-scale coastal whaling.

Japan also proposed as a compromise cutting the hunting permit for its research whaling in the northwest Pacific.

This year's IWC meeting starts Monday in Santiago, Chile. Even antiwhaling nations have concerns about the IWC's course, with some, including the U.S., seeking a working group of 10 to 15 countries to discuss coastal whaling and research whaling.

AOMORI, (Kyodo) A British man may have been involved when Greenpeace Japan took whale meat from a trucking company office in April, according to sources.

The environmental group submitted a report to police stating that a British man accompanied Junichi Sato and Toru Suzuki — two Greenpeace Japan members arrested Friday — to the office in Aomori. The Briton is believed to be a Greenpeace member, according to the sources.

Greenpeace submitted the report prior to Friday's arrest.

The report explains how the Greenpeace members took the whale meat. It also advocates activities against whaling.

The police are now investigating whether the Briton and other Greenpeace members conspired to take the meat, the sources said.

The two Greenpeace Japan members were arrested on suspicion of theft.

They have said they saw an urgent need to stop what they claim is a smuggling operation involving a government-sponsored whaling program.

The Aomori Prefectural Police turned the two members over to prosecutors Saturday morning.