In defence of Greenland's whalemeat sales

Press Release from Japan Whaling Association

HEADLINE: In defence of Greenland's whalemeat sales

The Japan Whaling Association, which represents the views of consumers of whalemeat in Japan, condemned the attack on the Greenland people by the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA).

Speaking out in support of the Greenland Home Rule Government, Mr Makoto Ito, JWA Managing Director, said today: "Different species of whales are hunted in Greenland and the whalemeat is widely available and sold in supermarkets. This sustainable hunt has been approved by the international community through the International Whaling Commission for many years."

Greenland, a Danish Protectorate, has an IWC quota for minke, fin and bowhead whales, as well as other species not covered by the IWC. The country is also seeking a quota from the IWC for humpback whales.

"The WSPA wasps think they have 'uncovered' something, but whalemeat has been sold in Greenland for many years under the so-called Aboriginal Subsistence regime of the IWC.

"It makes no difference whether whalemeat is sold in Greenland or gifted to consumers. The important factor is whether the hunt is sustainable, and Greenland has shown for generations that their hunts are perfectly sustainable. The commercialisation of the meat products does not change that fact," Mr Ito said.

"While the IWC has supported the whale hunt and the sale of whalemeat products in Greenland, the Commission continues to deny Japan the same rights for our coastal whalers. It is hypocrisy and it must change," he said.

ENDS

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