Michael Dickison writes in the New Zealand Herald that the compromise being considered by the International Whaling Commission could save over 5,000 in the next decade.
The compromise, which would see an international moratorium on whaling lifted in favour of stricter controls, has attracted criticism from groups saying that it is a step backwards.
An excerpt: (read in full here)
“The [New York Times] says the terms of the negotiations remain subject to major changes, but officials have indicated it would roughly halve the catch over 10 years and save more than 5000 whales compared to the status quo.
“Japan, Norway and Iceland continue to hunt whales despite a whaling moratorium put in place since 1986.
“Driven by Japanese whaling under the banner of scientific research, the number of whales killed each year has risen from 300 in 1990 to an expected 3000 this year.”