Whaling summit marred by bribery charges

AGADIR, Morocco, June 22 (UPI) -- European nations Iceland and Norway Tuesday pushed for a compromise sought by Japan to partially lift a ban on the killing of whales, amid allegations that Japanese negotiators bribed poorer delegate nations to garner support.

The 88-nation International Whaling Commission opened talks Monday in Morocco and hoped to clinch a deal by Wednesday or Friday at the latest. But the sessions so far have been overshadowed by allegations of widespread corruption and underhand deals.

The Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society, a leading global charity fighting to save whales and dolphins, voiced concern that Monday's opening session was swiftly closed to all but government delegates. Both media and non-government organizations were excluded from the talks.

"Excluding civil society from the negotiations when the fate of thousands of whales is hanging in the balance is certainly not the way forward for the IWC," WDCS said.

"The now secret meeting may be discussing the highly controversial proposal to resume commercial whaling," the society said.

Delegates were split with Japan campaigning for a partial resumption of whale hunting, with support from Iceland, Norway, New Zealand and the United States and Australia leading the opposition.

WDCS and Britain's Sunday Times cited allegations that IWC senior officials accepted expensive hospitality and travel from Japan. Activists barred from the conference told the media Japan had also disbursed cash among Caribbean, Pacific and African countries that in turn backed Japan's whaling interests.

Environmentalist delegates claimed they were witness to Caribbean delegates checking their bank accounts before deciding to make statements supportive of Japan.

A whaling ban was imposed in 1986 but Japan continues killing the mammals regardless, claiming it needs to continue scientific research. Iceland and Norway have carried on the killings, claiming special rights.

Environmentalists estimated 35,000 whales were killed despite the ban.

A compromise proposal now under discussion would require the three countries to commit to lower numbers of whales they hunt in return for a partial legal license for commercial whaling.

There was no indication that any of the three nations were ready to accept a compromise. Japan has already threatened to quit IWC if it isn't granted whaling rights before the end of the conference.

Former Beatle Paul McCartney in a statement led calls against resumption of commercial whale hunting.

"It is time to end the cruel slaughter of whales and leave these magnificent creatures alone," McCartney said in the statement issued through the World Society for the Protection of Animals.

The WDCS condemned negotiations for a deal involving Japan, Iceland and Norway, which is backed by the United States and New Zealand.

Australia, the Latin American countries and large parts of the EU want to see an IWC that takes control of the existing renegade whaling and see it ended immediately or at least phased out in a very short period of time, WDCS said.

"How can we hope that the IWC can actually represent the people of the world to do the right thing for whales when we see yet another sign of how the pro-whalers and the USA manipulate the IWC system to take their dirty dealings behind closed doors," said WDCS spokesman Nicolas Entrup.

"When all that the public get to see is reports of scandal and corruption, why should any of us trust anything these countries are doing out of the light of media and NGO scrutiny," he said.

He said the campaign against whaling "has now become a test of the principle of democracy and not just of where governments stand on the issue of whaling."