Cablegate: Whaling: Japanese Fleet Sails On Largest Research

VZCZCXYZ0001
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHKO #5283 3230733
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 190733Z NOV 07
FM AMEMBASSY TOKYO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9632
INFO RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA PRIORITY 2440
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 1889
RUEHWL/AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON PRIORITY 1013

UNCLAS TOKYO 005283

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

USDOC FOR NOAA/NMFS - US IWC COMMISSIONER HOGARTH AND
MCCARTHY

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EFIS PREL SENV IWC JA
SUBJECT: WHALING: JAPANESE FLEET SAILS ON LARGEST RESEARCH
HUNT YET

1. Japan's whaling fleet set sail Sunday, November 18 on the
largest hunt to date as part of phase two of the Japanese
Whale Research Program under Special Permit in the Antarctic
(JARPA II). For the first time since it began research
whaling in 1987, Japan intends to take humpback whales (quota
of 50). This year's quota for minke whales remains the same
at 850, plus or minus 10 percent, while the quota for fin
whales was increased from 10 to 50. According to the MOFA
Fisheries Division, Japanese Coast Guard officials were on
board when the fleet left Sunday due to past confrontations
with anti-whaling activists on the high seas. A contact at
the Australian Embassy told ESTOff Australian Ambassador
McLean will demarche the GOJ November 19 in protest of the
hunt.
DONOVAN

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