An animal welfare group yesterday called on China to reject Japan's attempt to hunt more whales when the International Whaling Commission meets in South Korea next week.
The International Fund for Animal Welfare said in Beijing it would send a letter to the ministries of agriculture and foreign affairs, urging Beijing to veto Tokyo's proposal to break a 19-year moratorium on commercial hunts.
Commission regulations permit limited hunting for research purposes, and Japan is also expected to seek approval to double its scientific hunts to nearly 440 minke whales a year. It will also likely try to include small numbers of humpbacks and fin whales in the take.
In the open letter, the group said whales, including those in China's East Sea, faced new threats if Japan's proposal was passed.
The group said Japan killed hundreds of whales each year for commercial purposes under the guise of research, and since 2002 had ignored the moratorium by increasing catches of coastal minke whales from 150 to 270 a year.
The group's Chinese representative, Zhang Li, said senior Japanese official Yoshimasa Hayashi indicated last month his country would break the commercial ban and was confident Beijing would offer its support.