Undercover reporter reveals Japan's IWC bribery scheme

There have been rumblings for years about how Japan has used its wealth to buy votes in its favor at the IWC. Now a UK paper has come up with damaging evidence of the extent of the vote-buying scheme. Not only has Japan been trading foreign aid for votes, they give envelopes of cash and call girls to delegates at IWC meetings. I wonder if this will make any difference at this week's meetings on the Future of the IWC? Or will countries to continue to buy into the idea that whaling nations deserve some sort of reward for their bad behavior?

Given the recent goings-on in Japanese politics, it seems that the country would be better served by a focus on issues that affect more than the tiny sliver of the population that either eats or benefits from the sale of whale meat. And we at ASOC are still trying to figure out how a whale sanctuary can still be a sanctuary when commercial whaling is allowed in it.