Japan's selective use of the facts at the ICJ
Japan has just argued this Tuesday afternoon in their opening of their defence, that there are plenty of Antarctic Minke whales and therefore there is not a problem in hunting them. Indeed, they have quoted the IWC website which says at http://iwc.int/status
“…There are several hundred thousand Antarctic minke whales and thus they are clearly not endangered…”
What they failed to say was what the IWC says next,
“…However, there has been an appreciable decline in their estimated abundance between the multi-year circumpolar surveys conducted between 1982/83-1988/89 and 1991/92-2003/04…. work continues to determine a final estimate and to determine whether the appreciable decline represents a real decline in abundance, changes in survey methods, changes in the number of animals available to be sighted due to presence within the ice or some combination of these.”
Seems Japan is willing to selectively quote from the IWC, – so nothing new there then 🙂
Japan is now arguing that the IWC has been hijacked by NGOs and conservation minded countries. Seems to fail to mention its recruitment programme of countries over the last few years…
Again, selective memory I think
