WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2332/97 by Johanna MAIJ-WEGGEN to the Commission. Cuts of meat from protected whales in Japanese shops
Date: 1997-07-07
Institutions: European Parliament, MAIJ-WEGGEN
Subjects: Japan, South Korea, fishing controls, fishing regulations, fishing rights, international conference, marine mammal, marketing restriction, protected species, protection of animal life













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91997E2332

WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2332/97 by Johanna MAIJ-WEGGEN to the Commission. Cuts of meat from protected whales in Japanese shops  


Official Journal C 060 , 25/02/1998 P. 0127 





WRITTEN QUESTION E-2332/97 by Johanna Maij-Weggen (PPE) to the Commission (7 July 1997)Subject: Cuts of meat from protected whales in Japanese shopsIs the Commission aware that a DNA examination carried out by Dr Scott Baker and Dr Gina Lento of the University of Auckland on behalf of IFAW, Greenpeace, Earthtrust and other organizations has shown that meat from protected whales is still being sold today in Japanese shops?Does it know that whaling of protected species has been banned since 1986 by the International Whaling Commission's moratorium on commercial whaling, and that in the first few months of 1997 more than 20% of the cuts of meat examined in Japan have been shown to be meat from protected whale species?The Japanese authorities claim that these are old stocks and whales that were caught by mistake during fishing operations. What does the Commission think of these arguments?How does the Commission view the fact that Japan is trying to obtain permission through CITES to resume whaling and international trade in whales? And what is the Commission's view on permitting the hunting of and trading in (protected) whale species?How will the Commission be protesting to Japan against the attitude and practices described above?Answer given by Mrs Bjerregaard on behalf of the Commission (25 July 1997)The fact that whale meat from several cetacean species is both legally and illegally traded with Japan and Korea and on sale within those countries is indeed known. The issue was extensively discussed at the 10th meeting of the conference of the parties to the Convention on international trade in endangered species of wild fauna and flora (CITES), held in Harare, Zimbabwe from 9 to 20 June 1997. The Conference adopted a series of recommendations to improve controls and to increase possibilities to detect whale meat of illegal origin. It should be pointed out in this context that Japanese authorities have on multiple occasions been successful in the seizure and confiscation of illegal shipments.The Commission confirms that pre-moratorium stocks of whale meat and stocks derived from Japanese scientific whaling exist. Whale meat can be stored for up to ten years. It is also true that whale meat is derived from by-catches and even from whale strandings.The Japanese (and Norwegian) proposals to the conference mentioned above, to transfer certain whale populations from CITES Appendix I to Appendix II were all rejected or withdrawn and were strongly opposed by the Community.Finally, the Commission is of the opinion that both scientific and commercial whaling should only take place within the framework of the Convention for the regulation of whaling and therefore not without approval from the International whaling commission (IWC). It has frequently made this view known since the adoption of the moratorium on commercial whaling by the IWC.