Japan fires first shots in whale debate

Japan has accused New Zealand and Australia of being fanatical in their opposition to whaling.

The Asian economic giant is also threatening to walk away from the International Whaling Commission if it can't expand its whale hunt, done under the guise of "scientific research".

"Countries such as Australia and New Zealand say they would not let a single whale be hunted no matter how healthy whale stocks are," said Hideki Moronuki of Japan's Fisheries Agency.

"These fanatic anti-whaling countries may also include Italy, Germany and Britain. But there are some other anti-whaling countries that are a bit cooler," he said.

But Conservation Minister Chris Carter, who heads to the annual IWC meeting in Korea today, called Mr Moronuki's comments "extremist" and "militant" and said he did not believe they represented Japan's official position.

"We are committed to whale conservation because they are not a plentiful species, they are a much endangered species, and I'm appalled that Japan would engage in such militant rhetoric," he said.

"I'm interested in arguing the conservation values of protecting whales and the economic value."

Mr Carter said a recent study showed whale-watching was worth around $120 million to New Zealand.

He said Mr Moronuki's comments did not provide a "good framework for rational debate" just as voting at the IWC was about to begin and Japan was about to seek double the number of minke whales killed in its "scientific research" - up from 440 now - and widen the programme to include humpbacks and fin whales.

Japan has little hope of overturning the ban on whale hunting, which requires a three-quarters majority vote of the 62 IWC countries, but will again try to introduce secret ballots. That is seen by anti-whaling nations as Japan's way of trying to protect countries likely to vote with it. Japan has been accused of buying votes.

Mr Carter said the votes this year were "extremely tight" and could balance out at 31-31 on whether Japan could expand its research programme.

Mr Moronuki said if all anti-whaling nations were as hard-line as Australia and New Zealand, Japan would "have no reason to stay at the IWC".

- Agencies, Herald reporter