U.S.A. paving the way to eliminate whaling

Many countries including Australia and New Zealand want to ban all whaling practices, period. However, opposition from the three remaining whaling countries - Japan, Norway and Iceland - have made such a ban an improbability. However, the United States has stepped up with a compromise that may bring an end to whaling within the next 10 years. During this time, the whaling countries will be allowed to continue with their activities in limited fashion and in exchange would:

agree to stricter monitoring of their operations, including tracking devices and international monitors on all whaling ships and participation in a whale DNA registry to track global trade in whale products.

It is further reported that:

representatives to the whaling commission from more than a dozen countries including the three whaling countries and others backing a compromise deal are in Washington this week to negotiate terms of the agreement.

Though it would be ideal for all whaling activities to come to an immediate halt, this is at least a good step toward the eventual elimination of whaling. The International Whaling Commission is set to meet in Morocco this June.