New Zealand joins call to stop Japanese whaling

WELLINGTON, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand has joined an international call for Japan to end its on-going whaling in the Southern Ocean and to respect the International Whaling Commission's (IWC) processes.

New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters said in a statement that New Zealand is a co-signatory to a written statement issued on Monday which reiterates opposition to Japan's so-called "scientific" whaling.

The statement is also supported by the governments of Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Mexico, Panama, Peru, and Uruguay, as well as the European Union and its member states, Peters said.

"This statement highlights the strong international disapproval of Japan's continued whaling in the Southern Ocean contrary to IWC requests," he said, adding that New Zealand will continue to work closely with other IWC members seeking to have Japan rethink what it is doing. Enditem