Quitting whaling commission is risky gambit by Japan

Japan's decision to exit from the International Whaling Commission carries the risk of forfeiting international trust and damaging momentum for conservation -- all in exchange for an uncertain outlook for commercial whaling as demand for whale meat falters.While the Japanese government has considered leaving the international body many times in the past over the longstanding rift between pro- and anti-whaling members, the Foreign Ministry had stressed the importance of international cooperation and called for reforming the IWC from within.But that position changed when the IWC voted down Ja…READ FULL ARTICLE