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Clinton Steers Clear of Sanctions on Japan in Whaling Dispute
President Bill Clinton on Friday steered clear of calling for trade sanctions against Tokyo for its failure to observe a ban on whale hunting, instead urging further review of Japanese whaling activities.
"I remain deeply concerned by Japan's unilateral actions," Clinton said in a report to Congress on Tokyo's whaling practices.
He told lawmakers he had instructed the departments of State, Commerce, the Interior and the Treasury to keep the matter under "active review."
"However," the president added, "I do not believe that import restrictions would further our objectives at this time," adding that such measures could not be ruled out in the future.
Clinton also directed his administration to investigate companies that manufacture whaling equipment in Japan and export whale products to the United States as potential targets of US action.
Environmental groups had urged the United States to impose trade sanctions on Japan, which hunts 440 minke whales a year and has said it plans to expand the hunt to include 10 sperm whales and 50 Bryde's whales.
Japanese authorities argue that the expansion of its program is purely for research purposes and is therefore allowed by the International Whaling Commission (IWC).
The IWC banned commercial whaling in 1986, but Japan resumed killing minke whales for research a year later in waters off Antarctica.
US officials dispute Japan's argument that its whaling activities have strictly scientific rather than commercial objectives.
"Along with many other members of the IWC, the United States believes the Japanese research whaling program has dubious scientific validity," Clinton told Congress.
"Information relevant to management of whale stocks can be collected by non-lethal techniques. Products of the research harvest are sold in Japanese markets, which raises questions about the true motivation of the program," Clinton wrote.
"Our goal remains that Japan substitute non-lethal techniques for its program," Clinton added, hailing as "a very encouraging sign" a report that Tokyo plans two non-lethal research expeditions in the next 12 months.
The United States last September moved to deny Japanese vessels future access to US fishing waters as part of the anti-whaling drive.
Commerce Department officials then acknowledged that for the moment the fishing ban on Japan would have only a symbolic effect, since Washington for the last 12 years has refused to authorize fishing by foreign vessels in US waters.
But the United States is about to reopen foreign fishing for Atlantic herring and mackerel, two species whose populations have been restored.
Clinton in his report also recalled that his administration had cancelled US participation in two environmental meetings scheduled to take place in Japan and had opposed Japanese efforts to host the next IWC meeting.
The session will now be held in Monaco rather than Tokyo. (Agencies)
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