MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Japan, Iceland and Denmark challenge anti whaling lobby

While the anti-whaling lobby appears to be heading for a clear majority at next week's International Whaling Commission (IWC) meeting in Alaska opponents to Japan's “scientific” whaling programme say more needs to be done.

It is expected that a majority of countries will prevent a moratorium being lifted on commercial whaling at the May 28 IWC meeting, but the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) Asia Pacific Director, Michael McIntyre, said it will not stop this year's slaughter of humpbacks. "Time is running out. In November Japan will begin its largest hunt since the global moratorium in 1986," Mr McIntyre said via statement. In related news Denmark's Foreign Affairs minister Per Stig Moeller said the country favored "regulated" and "scientific" whaling and a sustainable development of the species. Moeller's words were addressed to the United Kingdom that has accused Copenhagen of betraying the European Union in the whaling issue In an article by UK Ambassador David Frost published in the Danish "Politiken" he states that it's extremely rare that Denmark and Britain are in disaccord in essential political issues, particularly regarding the environment". "But Denmark is the only EU member which voted in 2006 in favor of commercial whaling", which came as a surprise given the country's leadership in conservation and protection of wildlife and the environment. Ambassador Frost added that in a recent public opinion poll, 53% of Danes said they were against whaling and only 4% in favor. And in the UK it was announced that supermarkets have pledged to stop selling fish from companies linked to whaling in Iceland. Last month, the coalition of environmental groups including the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (WDCS), Campaign Whale, the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA), the Marine Connection and the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) called on leading supermarkets and fish suppliers in the UK to verify that they do not buy fish from companies in Iceland linked to whaling and do not support the culling of whales to 'protect' fish stocks. As a result, leading UK supermarkets Waitrose, Tesco, Sainsbury's, Marks and Spencer, Co-op and Iceland have all sent statements in support of the campaign.