Whaling body ponders hunting ban suspension
BEIJING, June 22 (Xinhuanet)– The International Whaling Commission ponders suspending a 25-year ban on commercial hunting as the 1986 moratorium has failed to prevent Japan, Norway and Iceland from killing hundreds of whales each year?, according to AP report on Monday.
The proposal before the 88-member commission would allow the three countries limited whaling while imposing a 10-year period of international monitoring.
The proposal would require whaling countries to outfit their whaling ships with satellite monitors, letting international observers track their movements and activities.
?If a country hunts more than its quota, that quota would be lowered in subsequent years.
Environmentalists attending as observers denounced the move to hold closed-door negotiations.
While some commission members opposed sanctioning any whale hunting at all, others might agree to a deal that protect the most endangered species.
Many commission members also wanted international sales of whale meat halted.
Currently, more than 1,000 whales are killed each year, with nearly 2,000 killed in the peak year of 2006, the Pew Environmental Group said.
(Agencies)
?
