Japan urged to confirm no humpback kill

December 19, 2007 - 11:49PM

Greenpeace has called on the Japanese government to confirm that it has agreed not to kill humpback whales during its annual southern whale hunt.

But the environmental group says the rest of the planned hunt is illegal and should be stopped.

The United States is pushing Japan to suspend its hunt of humpback whales, with the American ambassador to Japan saying an agreement to stop it may have already been reached.

If the hunt for humpback whales goes ahead, it will be the first major hunt for the species since the 1960s.

US Ambassador to Japan Thomas Schieffer said on Wednesday Japanese and US negotiators were working on an American demand that the hunt of humpback whales be halted.

"I think we had an agreement this morning or last night between the United States and Japan that humpback whales would not be harvested, I think, until maybe the international whaling conference in June," Mr Schieffer told reporters in Tokyo.

In response, Australian-based Greenpeace whales campaigner Rob Nicoll cautiously welcomed the news.

"If reports that the Japanese whalers will not take humpbacks are true, we still need an official statement from the Japanese government to confirm this," he said in a statement.

"It would be good news for Australia's $300 million whale watching industry, however the plan to kill 50 endangered fin whales and 935 minke whales is still illegal whaling in a declared whale sanctuary.

"The Australian government needs to maintain its recently announced commitments to monitor the Japanese whaling operation and work politically to urge them to turn their fleet around."

The federal government announced on Wednesday that Australia will lead an international protest against Japanese whaling, while a surveillance plane and ship are set to leave Australia within days to gather photographic and video evidence for use in possible international court action.