Latin America wants to end 'lethal research' on whales

[Judi Lynn]

Latin America wants to end 'lethal research' on whales
24 mins ago

SAN JOSE (AFP) – Latin American members of the International Whaling Commission said they will propose eliminating a legal loophole that allows whale hunting under the guise of "lethal research" at the next IWC meeting in Morocco in June.

The Buenos Aires Group, in its final declaration after meeting here Thursday, said the compromise solution IWC chairman Cristian Maquieira proposed last month to lower whale catches from 2,000 to 400 a year over 10 years "must be significantly reduced."

The compromise comes amid a feud between Australia and Japan, which kills hundreds of whales in the Pacific and Antarctic oceans yearly, using a loophole in the IWC's 1986 moratorium on commercial whaling that allows "lethal research" on the animals.

Japan argues that whaling is part of its culture and makes no secret that the whale meat winds up on dinner plates.

Norway and Iceland defy the moratorium entirely by informing the IWC that they object to the 1986 decision.

Environmentalists have been scathing over the IWC compromise proposal, saying it would effectively undo the 1986 moratorium that is credited with restoring stocks of the giant mammals.

More:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100521/sc_afp/costaricalatamwhalingenvironmentiwc