Japan cheating on fin whales, say researchers

Source: Agencies  |   2008-6-29  |     NEWSPAPER EDITION

DNA sampling of whale meat in Japanese markets turned up fin whales that can't be accounted for, according to the Marine Mammal Institute at Oregon State University in the United States.

The institute monitors Japanese whaling and reported its findings to the International Whaling Commission meetings this month in Chile.

Meat from at least 15 individual fin whales was being sold in 2006 and 2007 - two more than the Japanese government reported killing as part of its scientific whaling program in the same period, Scott Baker, associate director of the institute, said on Friday.

Baker said the institute's fin whale DNA database is not extensive enough to identify where the individual whales came from, but there is concern whales are being killed illegally or are not properly reported after being taken incidentally in fishing nets.

The institute has reported to the commission on genetic testing of whale meat from Japan since 1994.

The latest sampling procured 99 samples of whale meat, mostly from Internet sales outlets in Japan. Thirty-nine of the samples proved to be fin whale, Baker said.

Whale hunting has been banned since 1986, but Japan continues a scientific hunting program that took 13 fin whales in 2006 and 2007, Baker said.

DNA sampling should have identified 13 individuals, but found 15, he said.

The Fisheries Agency in Tokyo could not be reached for comment.

At the International Whaling Commission meeting last week in Santiago, Chile, the International Fund for Animal Welfare expressed concern that the meeting failed to address increased whaling by Japan, Iceland and Norway.