Annual whale meeting heading for stormy waters in Italy

0 Comments | AFP, July, 2004

SORRENTO, Italy (AFP) — Pro- and anti-whaling nations were set to lock horns here at the opening of the 56th annual meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC), which will hear a strong call from its chairman for an end to an 18-year moratorium on commercial whaling.

The 55-member IWC is split down the middle between countries opposed to a resumption of commercial whaling, like the United States, Britain and most European states, and its most enthusiastic backers -- Japan, Norway and Iceland.

Despite his absence through illness, IWC chairman Henrik Fischer of Denmark has issued a strong call for a return to commercial whaling within two years in a confidential paper circulated to commissioners.

He said a phased resumption of commercial whaling was...