Three activists 'prisoners' after slipping aboard Japanese ship

[Bodhi BloodWave]

51. most countries involved with the IWC since Japan is abiding by article VIII

1. Notwithstanding anything contained in this Convention any Contracting Government may grant to any of its nationals a special permit authorizing that national to kill, take and treat whales for purposes of scientific research subject to such restrictions as to number and subject to such other conditions as the Contracting Government thinks fit, and the killing, taking, and treating of whales in accordance with the provisions of this Article shall be exempt from the operation of this Convention. Each Contracting Government shall report at once to the Commission all such authorizations which it has granted. Each Contracting Government may at any time revoke any such special permit which it has granted.

2. Any whales taken under these special permits shall so far as practicable be processed and the proceeds shall be dealt with in accordance with directions issued by the Government by which the permit was granted.

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Now is their great use of this article condemned by the anti-whaling members of the IWC? You bet
Is the 'scientific research' the japanese do unnecessary at its core? You bet
Is the 'scientific research' legal? You bet

Now if the IWC would return to its roots then the Japanese wouldn't need to use Article VIII, the fact that the memorandum has lasted for 24 years now and a number of countries are trying to make it permanent shows how far its been twisted from its original purpose