Leave Endangered Whales Alone, U.S. Tells Japan

WASHINGTON, Monday, May 14, 2001 [Reuters] -The United States on
Monday expressed strong opposition to a Japanese whale hunt about to
start in the northern Pacific and said it might consider sanctions if
endangered species were killed.

"We again urge Japan not to take sperm and Bryde's whales," State
Department spokesman Richard Boucher said in a statement on the
departure last Thursday of Japan's research whaling fleet for the
northern Pacific.

Japan could turn its ships back "in theory," he told a news briefing
separately, but added, "I'm not holding my breath."

Boucher said the United States and at least 17 other countries
opposed the resumption by the world's biggest consumer of whale meat
of hunting Bryde's and sperm whales, which are protected by U.S. law
and had been safe from harpoons for years.

President Bush can use a provision of the 1978 Fisherman's Protective
Act - the Pelly Amendment - to block Japanese imports in protest at
the whaling, as long as doing so does not break World Trade
Organization rules.
"If they start taking these whales, first and foremost, we'd like to
talk them out of it. But if they do start taking these whales, then
we would be looking at the similar process of examining the possible
implications under the Pelly Amendment," Boucher told the news
briefing.

Last year President Bill Clinton invoked the amendment but later
decided not to impose trade sanctions.

He denied Japan future fishing rights in U.S. waters and his
administration boycotted a meeting of environmental ministers in
Japan last September because of the whaling.

Boucher said the issue of blocking imports from whaling equipment
manufacturers was still pending. "We're just as strongly opposed this
year as we were last year," he said.
"We will be coordinating with other governments and looking at what
we can do to ... take steps that we feel are necessary to make clear
that they are isolated internationally in terms of this program," he
added.

Boucher said his side had had repeated contacts and discussions with
the Japanese about whaling. "We've listened to their arguments. I
think we don't think they stand up. We certainly don't think they
justify a lethal whaling program."

An official at Japan's Fisheries Agency said the vessels that set
sail last week would take up to 160 whales, mostly the more common
minke.

Japan says its program is permitted by International Whaling
Commission rules. The official said Japan needed to find out how much
whales consumed of important stocks of fish.

He said the 50 Bryde's and 10 sperm whales that would be taken would
have no significant impact on any of the species.

But critics say much of the meat ends up on restaurant tables or
supermarket shelves.

The official said it was far more harmful that the United States
allowed the killing of more than 60 bowhead whales a year by Native
American Inuits in Alaska for cultural reasons.

Copyright © 2001 Los Angeles Times