Greenpeace Antarctic Campaign a Failure

The Institute of Cetacean Research

TOKYO — A senior Japanese government official has accused
Greenpeace of misleading the public to cover up its failed
anti-whaling campaign in the Antarctic. Mr. Masayuki Komatsu,
Counsellor in the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
was responding to the Greenpeace press release issued on January 16,
accusing Japan of spending its overseas development aid to buy votes
in the International Whaling Commission.

"Greenpeace has reverted to their usual misleading propaganda and
rhetoric to cover up the total failure of its campaign in the
Antarctic" said Mr. Komatsu. "Japan is the world's largest donor,
providing aid to over 150 countries and this aid is not linked to
the policies of recipient nations on specific issues" he said.

"These accusations are inaccurate and insulting not only to Japan
but to aid recipient nations. In fact, Japanese aid is provided to a
large number of countries including India, Argentina, Brazil and
Kenya that are opposed to Japan's position on whaling" he added.

Mr. Komatsu said "Greenpeace has not told the public the truth on
this issue. They should be telling the public that the International
Whaling Commission's Scientific Committee has noted that Japan's
whale research in the Antarctic is providing important scientific
information."

Mr. Komatsu explained that the International Convention for the
Regulation of Whaling requires that the IWC's regulations be based
on scientific findings. "Rather than criticizing Japan's whale
research program and wasting money touring around the Antarctic
drinking beer and baking cookies as they have themselves reported,
Greenpeace should be spending some of its money to conduct
research."

Mr. Komatsu further criticized Greenpeace by saying "Greenpeace is
not about saving whales it is about fundraising. Whales have already
been saved and are increasing to the point where there is now
worldwide concern about the impact of whales on fish stocks. Even
the IWC last year unanimously adopted a resolution jointly proposed
by the United States and Japan to make the study of interactions
between whales and fisheries a matter of priority."

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