Japan set to push for commercial whaling amid growing divide in global body

Japan will host an international conference next week to push its campaign to allow commercial whaling, but some of the world's most influential anti-whaling nations -- including the United States -- plan to boycott the meeting.

Tokyo, which has waged a long struggle to resume commercial whaling, says the Feb. 13-15 conference is needed to reform the International Whaling Commission, which Japan argues is meant to regulate hunts rather than ban them outright.

"The IWC is in a very critical situation, so I think our approach is one of the last resorts to rescue it," said Fisheries Agency official Hideki Moronuki. "The IWC might collapse, and that would be the real tragedy."

Japan invited all 72 commission members to the meeting, but Britain immediately announced it would not attend, and many other anti-whaling nations -- including Australia, New Zealand and the United States -- followed suit.

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"The clear intention of the meeting is to limit the agenda of the International Whaling Commission to consumptive use," said Richard Wilson, a spokesman for the Australian Department of the Environment and Water Resources. "Australia is deeply concerned about this meeting by pro-whaling interests," he added.

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