Japan Lacks Votes to End Whaling Ban

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Anti-whaling activists count several new members _ most recently Greece, which just joined the IWC last Wednesday _ among their coalition.

New Zealand premier Helen Clark, a leading critic of whale hunting, said Monday the IWC is "quite finely poised at the present time between countries that support the conservation of whales and countries that don't."

"Greece coming in to support the conservation argument is very greatly appreciated by New Zealand," she said after greeting Greek Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis.

Japan, while repeatedly denying anti-whaling countries' accusations of offering aid to IWC members in return for pro-whaling votes, has also been open about its drive to recruit supporters to the commission.

Tokyo last week cheered landlocked Laos's intention to join, predicting it would vote with Tokyo once its membership is finalized. The announcement came after Japan offered the impoverished country $1 million in aid to clear unexploded bombs. Tokyo denied any connection to whaling.

"We think our efforts to try to increase the level of global participation in this important committee have won support," said Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuhisa Shiozaki.

Laos, however, had yet to be officially logged on the IWC Web site as a member as of Monday, and it was unclear whether it would be able to join in time for this year's meeting.

One focus of the meeting in Anchorage was expected to be a Japanese drive to win coastal whaling recognition under provisions similar to those that allow certain indigenous groups _ such as those in Alaska _ to hunt the mammals.

Activists say Tokyo may try to win concessions for so-called "community whaling" or other issues in return for support to renew a five-year bowhead whale quota for indigenous hunters in Russia and the United States.

The IWC meeting follows a tumultuous year in Japanese whaling.

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