AS the Japanese whaling fleet prepares to leave port, we call upon the Japanese government to end "scientific" whaling.
Not content with killing its self-allocated catch of 540 minke whales a year, Japan is now intending to extend the slaughter to two additional species. It is proposing to kill 50 Bryde's whales and 10 sperm whales.
Since the suspension of commercial whaling in 1996, Japan has not respected the decisions of the International Whaling Commission and has killed more than four thousand whales under the guise of science.
The IWC has consistently and repeatedly issued resolutions criticising the Japanese scientific whaling programme and asking Japan to stop. Japan has rejected these requests and whaling continues.
The "scientific" information Japan obtains is not needed by the IWC. The real reason for the whaling is to keep the industry in business, the harpooners in practice and to provide whale meat.
We urge the international community to pass on our message to the Japanese government. Stop scientific whaling now.
PIERCE BROSNAN, for the International Fund for Animal Welfare, Albert Embankment, London.
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