WHALING  (CONT)

tors inherent in current whaling practices render it unlikely that truly humane standards could ever be achieved. On grounds of animal welfare alone, therefore, all whaling operations should be halted.

The campaign to stop whaling is being launched to oppose a campaign of the Japanese to bring other nations to their point of view that "sustainable use" of whales is necessary and justified.

One of their lobbying efforts took place at a Tokyo hotel last October 1. Members of the Sustainable Use Parliamentarians Union of Japan (SUPU-Japan), exchanged views on sustainable use of natural resources with delegates from African countries at a welcome reception for the Tokyo International Conference on Africa's Development, the Japan Whaling Association newsletter of December 2003 reports.

In his welcome speech, Yutaka Takeyama, member of the House of Councillors remarked that "excessive emphasis is now given only to protection of natural resources, under pressures from radical environmental organizations, at the sacrifice of effective utilization of the resources."

He called on African delegates to join SUPU, stressing the need for parliamentarians throughout the world to unite to promote the concept of sustainable use of the resources.

On behalf of the African delegates present at the reception, Ambassador Thiam Ousman Tolo of Guinea expressed support of SUPU's concept, saying "developing countries use marine resources extensively, and protecting those resources without scientific evidence may threaten our wildlife resources."

Japanese officials have repeatedly reminded the world of the importance of marine living resources to world food security and the need for whales to be seen as a marine living resource whose management should be based on science and not emotion.

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