OMEN
06-19-2006, 08:44 PM
Prime Minister Helen Clark has accused Japan of driving a wedge through the Pacific by using millions of dollars in aid to secure key votes toward a full resumption of commercial whaling.
Four Pacific allies that had pledged their votes to New Zealand did an about-face yesterday and backed a Japanese resolution at the International Whaling Commission meeting advocating the removal of a 20-year moratorium on commercial hunting.
The vote was held a day earlier than expected, when Japan realised it had the numbers to pass the resolution.
Though the resolution yesterday in St Kitts and Nevis in the Caribbean passed by 33 votes to 32, it will not end the moratorium – that needs a 75 per cent majority to be overturned. It is, however, a huge political and strategic victory for Japan and its allies.
Miss Clark said it was well known that Japan had "sprayed a lot of money around" in small and poor countries to garner support. "One would hope that over time Japan might reflect on the damage this is doing to (its) relationships around the world."
It had been hard in recent years to get strong support in the Pacific Island Forum for whale conservation because Japanese advocacy had made its mark. Concerns had been raised with Japan in the past and would continue at government and diplomatic level.
Miss Clark said she hoped "moral pressure" from countries such as New Zealand that engaged in responsible aid practices would win the Pacific countries over. "It does mean (however) we cannot count on whales being safe for the future."
Brazil, backed by New Zealand and Britain, immediately tried to protest against yesterday's vote, but they were branded sore losers by the pro-whaling bloc.
Six member countries of the Pacific Forum – Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, the Solomons and Tuvalu – voted with Japan, which Conservation Minister Chris Carter said was "profoundly disappointing".
He had received undertakings just two months ago from four of the six – Kiribati, Nauru, the Solomons and Tuvalu – that they would not agree to the resumption of commercial whaling.
Solomons Fisheries and Marine Resources Minister Nollen Leni appeared yesterday to defy his own Cabinet's decision to abstain, a move which a Solomons government official told The Dominion Post had caused dismay in the capital, Honiara.
The same thing happened at last year's IWC meeting in Korea, when Fisheries Minister Paul Maenu'u defied Cabinet directions and voted with Japan. He was sacked when he returned home. Solomons officials have previously admitted that Japan paid its IWC membership.
New Zealand gives aid to three of the six Pacific nations – Kiribati, the Solomons and Tuvalu – totalling $23 million a year. In addition, New Zealand and Australia have poured soldiers and police into the Solomons in an attempt to restore order and rebuild the country after ethnic conflict there.
Japan gives slightly more in aid and also hands out soft loans and materials. It has poured more money into the Pacific in recent years as it wrestles with China for influence.
In May, it pledged about 45 billion yen (NZ$633 million) in aid for all Pacific nations, compared with New Zealand's annual budget of $173 million.
Miss Clark said New Zealand would express its sadness to the Pacific countries that voted with Japan, but she ruled out withholding aid or attaching conditions to aid deals.
"Tying aid is the worst possible type of aid practice ... It is not something we will do."
Greenpeace NZ said it was disgusted with the "patently absurd" IWC decision. The World Wide Fund for Nature said it was a shallow political victory that would serve only as a wake-up call to conservation-minded countries and people.
NZPA
Four Pacific allies that had pledged their votes to New Zealand did an about-face yesterday and backed a Japanese resolution at the International Whaling Commission meeting advocating the removal of a 20-year moratorium on commercial hunting.
The vote was held a day earlier than expected, when Japan realised it had the numbers to pass the resolution.
Though the resolution yesterday in St Kitts and Nevis in the Caribbean passed by 33 votes to 32, it will not end the moratorium – that needs a 75 per cent majority to be overturned. It is, however, a huge political and strategic victory for Japan and its allies.
Miss Clark said it was well known that Japan had "sprayed a lot of money around" in small and poor countries to garner support. "One would hope that over time Japan might reflect on the damage this is doing to (its) relationships around the world."
It had been hard in recent years to get strong support in the Pacific Island Forum for whale conservation because Japanese advocacy had made its mark. Concerns had been raised with Japan in the past and would continue at government and diplomatic level.
Miss Clark said she hoped "moral pressure" from countries such as New Zealand that engaged in responsible aid practices would win the Pacific countries over. "It does mean (however) we cannot count on whales being safe for the future."
Brazil, backed by New Zealand and Britain, immediately tried to protest against yesterday's vote, but they were branded sore losers by the pro-whaling bloc.
Six member countries of the Pacific Forum – Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, the Solomons and Tuvalu – voted with Japan, which Conservation Minister Chris Carter said was "profoundly disappointing".
He had received undertakings just two months ago from four of the six – Kiribati, Nauru, the Solomons and Tuvalu – that they would not agree to the resumption of commercial whaling.
Solomons Fisheries and Marine Resources Minister Nollen Leni appeared yesterday to defy his own Cabinet's decision to abstain, a move which a Solomons government official told The Dominion Post had caused dismay in the capital, Honiara.
The same thing happened at last year's IWC meeting in Korea, when Fisheries Minister Paul Maenu'u defied Cabinet directions and voted with Japan. He was sacked when he returned home. Solomons officials have previously admitted that Japan paid its IWC membership.
New Zealand gives aid to three of the six Pacific nations – Kiribati, the Solomons and Tuvalu – totalling $23 million a year. In addition, New Zealand and Australia have poured soldiers and police into the Solomons in an attempt to restore order and rebuild the country after ethnic conflict there.
Japan gives slightly more in aid and also hands out soft loans and materials. It has poured more money into the Pacific in recent years as it wrestles with China for influence.
In May, it pledged about 45 billion yen (NZ$633 million) in aid for all Pacific nations, compared with New Zealand's annual budget of $173 million.
Miss Clark said New Zealand would express its sadness to the Pacific countries that voted with Japan, but she ruled out withholding aid or attaching conditions to aid deals.
"Tying aid is the worst possible type of aid practice ... It is not something we will do."
Greenpeace NZ said it was disgusted with the "patently absurd" IWC decision. The World Wide Fund for Nature said it was a shallow political victory that would serve only as a wake-up call to conservation-minded countries and people.
NZPA