The Sydney Morning Herald is reporting that the Australian government has drawn up an agreement that allows Japan to kill more whales in the North Pacific in return for killing less in the waters around Antarctica. The proposal was apparently put together by an International Whaling Commission drafting group consisting of representatives from Australia and Japan and 4 other countries.
According to the BBC, Australia’s environment minister has rejected reports that such a compromise has been reached, claiming that their position has not changed. The foreign minister talks of a range of possible suggestions and proposals being canvassed, but that these that are a long way from a formal proposal or suggestion, or anything that the Australian government has agreed to. So it sounds like there might have been some discussions along the lines of the report in the Sydney Morning Herald but perhaps no formal agreement (yet). We will have to wait and see.
