U.S. Avoids IWC Discussion of Makah Whaling

by Andy

update

What actually happened at the International Whaling Commission (IWC) meeting was this. The United States never pleaded the Makah's case to the IWC. In fact, they went out of their way to make sure the issue was never discussed. The IWC reiterated that they did not sanction the Makah hunt but under the U. S. pressure did not debate it.

The Japanese, as expected, lobbied heavily for their "cultural" rights to kill minke whales. Since the United States has cultural whaling (a.k.a. the Makah hunt), they argued that they, too, should also be allowed cultural and butchering of a mother and calf humpback whale pair in the West Indian island of Bequia (another "cultural" hunt) were shown. Only a narrow three-vote majority, perhaps strengthened by the videos, prevented the widespread resumption of "cultural" commercial whaling.

Interestingly enough, the United States voted against the Japanese hunt, despite the obvious hypocrisy. The Japanese are now lobbying several African nations, who want to resume their "cultural" elephant ivory hunting, to get their three votes for next year.

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