Controversy as international whaling conference opens

Updated June 24, 2008 19:51:13

An aerial view of people forming the shape of a whale with the word 'Sanctuary' in Santiago, ahead of this week's conference. [AFP]

The chair of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) has been accused of gagging debate at the annual conference which has officially opened in Santiago.

Our reporter in Santiago, Sarah Clarke, says the 60th IWC meeting has officially opened with the chair of the conference Bill Hogarth calling for countries to avoid debate and abandon voting at this year's meeting.

"I would ask that you keep your points of order to a minimum," he said.

"There are quite a few that have become very disruptive and I think we would like to move forward".

Patrick Ramage from the International Fund For Animal Welfare says that is unconstructive.

"The IWC needs to be ending whaling, not ending voting and democratic discussion here," he said.

Brazil is hoping to secure the numbers to declare a south Atlantic whale sanctuary, but with voting denied, a decision is unlikely to be made at this meeting.

Protest

Around 15 people have been arrested at a protest involving hundreds outside the International Whaling Commission meeting in Santiago.

Hundreds gathered outside the meeting to condemn Japan's scientific whaling program, which last year killed more than 800 whales.

But Chilean police moved in, and arrested 15 people, breaking up the demonstration.

Japan kills some 1,000 whales a year using a loophole in the IWC moratorium on commercial whaling that allows "lethal research" on the ocean giants.

Norway and Iceland defy the moratorium altogether.