By Agence France-PressePro- and anti-whaling nations are set for a showdown when the International Whaling Commission (IWC) meets in Brazil from Monday as Japan leads an assault on a three-decade old moratorium on commercial whale hunting. But Japan’s package of proposals, entitled “The Way Forward,” has left conservationists seething even before delegates have taken their seats at the 67th IWC meeting in the Brazilian surfing resort of Florianapolis. They say it’s a blatant attempt to overturn the 1986 moratorium and restore commercial whaling. Ahead of the IWC meeting, Australia said it would “vehemently oppose” any attempts to undermine the moratorium. Iceland and Norway are the only countries that allow commercial whaling and are likely to come under renewed pressure at the IWC meeting, which runs until Friday.

Source: Manila Bulletin September 09, 2018 07:07 UTC