Japan's whaling draws fire for possible violation of int'l treaty

Japan was under fire for its "research" whaling in the Northwest Pacific as a possible violation of an international treaty on endangered species, while Tokyo's ivory trading practice was also questioned.During a five-day meeting of a standing committee on monitoring wildlife trade in Geneva through Friday, Japan drew criticism over its hunting of sei whales in the sea from anti-whaling countries, with Australia pointing out that the research whaling could be for commercial purposes.The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, or CITES and also known …READ FULL ARTICLE