NZ steps up diplomatic efforts on whaling

New Zealand is stepping up diplomatic efforts to head off a Japanese bid to gain control of the International Whaling Commission.

The commission will meet at the end of May, and Japan and fellow pro-whaling nations appear to have a majority, which would allow them to control crucial aspects of the commission.
Prime Minister Helen Clark said today New Zealand was making a concerted diplomatic effort to try and encourage anti-whaling nations to attend the meeting.

It was also talking to many small nations that have joined the commission and voted alongside Japan after receiving aid packages from the pro-whaling nation.

Miss Clark said a possible majority was "of real concern", but she said it was important to note that Japan's majority was only on paper.

It had a similar paper majority last year, but still lost crucial motions, as supporters either did not attend, or were not present during voting.

"We've been concerned for a number of years because Japan has been steadily recruiting small developing countries to its cause," Miss Clark said today on Newstalk ZB.

For years New Zealand had been encouraging other like-minded countries to join the commission, but it refused to tie financial aid to such a move.

"That's very, very bad aid practice and we are not going to engage in it."

Miss Clark said Japan's efforts to build up a majority meant even if it were not achieved this year, there would be a risk of it occurring every year from now.

A simple majority would not allow Japan to reintroduce commercial whaling -- which requires a 75 per cent majority -- but it would allow it to choose the commission's chairman, abolish its conservation committee and install secret ballots so nations supporting it could avoid scrutiny.

It would also allow it to more easily expand its "scientific whaling programme", which is commercial whaling in all but name.

New Zealand's commissioner to the IWC Sir Geoffrey Palmer said today Japan's operation to take control of the commission had been "absolutely massive".

"[Last year] we warned the New Zealand Government the prospects of losing a the critical majority were high; we think they're much higher this year," he said on National Radio.

"One of the things we're trying to do is not only persuade some nations to attended and join the IWC but also to send ministers who will have a lot more political heft than we normally see at the IWC," he said.

Conservation Minister Chris Carter told National Radio today that Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom were working together to try to prevent Japan gaining control.

Mr Carter said anti-whaling nations struggled to understand Japan's rationale for continued whaling, especially when there was a shrinking market for whale products and the Japanese government was virtually having to give away whale meat at home.

At last year's IWC meeting in South Korea, Japan appeared to have a majority of 33 to 30, but four pro-Japan countries failed to turn up.

- NZPA