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Japan and New Zealand made history yesterday when they co-sponsored a resolution at the International Whaling Commission's meeting in Alaska.
It was the first time the pro-whaling Japanese and the staunchly anti-whaling New Zealanders had jointly put forward a proposal and marked a continuing warming in the normally frosty relationship between the two countries.
For the past few days Japan and New Zealand, with Australia, Britain and the United States, have been involved in intensive informal meetings on the sidelines of the IWC meeting about Japan's plans to kill 50 humpback whales next summer.
Yesterday's resolution, which set out the need for all ships sailing in the Southern Ocean to respect environmental considerations, is being seen as another sign that a deal to leave the humpback whales undisturbed may be brokered.
"They've never hunted humpbacks before so they are not actually giving anything up," New Zealand Conservation Minister Chris Carter said.
"They are just not doing something new ... We have agreed to work together on reform of the IWC, although we both have different visions of what that should be, and we have agreed to be more collaborative."
During last summer's whale hunt, a Japanese factory vessel, the Nisshin Maru, collided with a ship owned by the environmental group Sea Shepherd - a collision each blamed on the other. Days later, the Nisshin Maru caught fire, which sparked fears of an environmental disaster.
Japan's initial draft of the co-resolution focused on condemnation of environmental groups such as Sea Shepherd and Greenpeace.
New Zealand diplomats helped to soften the wording until it set out that everyone who sailed in Antarctic waters should do so carefully and safely.
"New Zealand and Japan have never co-sponsored a resolution together before, and it was unanimously adopted by the conference," Mr Carter said.
"I think that is a very positive sign that the relationship is warmer than it was."
In another significant development yesterday Yokohama Mayor Hiroshi Nakada arrived in Anchorage and went straight into a meeting with Mr Carter. Yokohama is keen to host the 2009 IWC meeting as part of the commemorations of the 150th anniversary of US Commodore Matthew Perry's historic voyage to Japan.
New Zealand has previously said it would support Portugal's bid for 2009 hosting rights, and it appears a change of New Zealand's mind could sway Japan's position on hunting humpback whales.
Mr Carter said Japan had given an undertaking to continue talking to New Zealand about humpbacks.
