The International Whaling Commission's 54th annual gathering concluded last Friday in the traditional whaling port of Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture. Once again it sent a signal to the world that the forum is not ready for compromise. The meeting left U.S. and Russian indigenous peoples without a take of bowhead whales. Despite twice being put to the vote, the proposal failed to gain 75 percent of the support of the 45 voting members by one ballot. IWC members also shot down proposals for two new whale sanctuaries and negated a Japanese bid for a commercial catch of 50 coastal minke whales.

It remains to be seen whether the Shimonseki imbroglio was merely a tempest in a tea cup or will balloon into a diplomatic row that Japan will rue in days to come. If major countries join the fray it could go either way: toward a resolution or toward a debacle that neither the prowhaling nor the antiwhaling side wants.

The intransigence displayed at the meeting reflects poorly on the organization. A large chunk of responsibility must be shouldered by Japan and its supporters for trying to use the whale hunt by U.S. and Russian indigenous peoples as a bargaining chip to force Japan's minke whale proposal to the vote. For the first time in over two decades the prowhaling contingent acquired control over a fourth of the IWC, which is enough to block major decisions requiring a three-quarters vote.