Japan will host an international conference this week to push its campaign to allow commercial whaling, but some of the world's most influential antiwhaling nations -- including the U.S. -- plan to boycott the meeting.
The government, which has waged a long struggle to resume commercial whaling, says the conference from Tuesday to Thursday is needed to reform the International Whaling Commission, which it argues is meant to regulate hunts rather than ban them outright.
"The IWC is in a very critical situation, so I think our approach is one of the last resorts to rescue it," said Fisheries Agency official Hideki Moronuki. "The IWC might collapse, and that would be the real tragedy."
Japan invited all 72 commission members to the meeting, but Britain immediately announced it would not attend, and many other whaling opponents -- including Australia, New Zealand and the U.S. -- followed suit.
Moronuki refused to disclose which nations will be represented, citing security reasons, but said "about half or little more than half of IWC member countries" are expected to show up.
Critics said the conference appears to be aimed at promoting a resumption of commercial whaling.
"The clear intention of the meeting is to limit the agenda of the International Whaling Commission to consumptive use," said Richard Wilson, a spokesman for the Australian Department of the Environment and Water Resources. "Australia is deeply concerned about this meeting by prowhaling interests."
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