<P> In Japan, especially within conservative media outlets (the most vocal ones being Sankei Shimbun and Bungei Shunju), it is argued that countries which oppose commercial whaling altogether should not be in the IWC at all and allege that the anti-whaling side has subverted the purpose of the IWC by exploiting the (lack of) membership requirements . Moreover, they point out that the anti-whaling lobby within the IWC are also led by wealthy developed nations and are equally susceptible to accusations of vote - buying and influence - peddling . The anti-whaling side within IWC are accused of using conservation as a cover for their ideological opposition to whaling itself, which mirrors the accusation from the anti-whaling side that Japan's scientific whaling is a cover for commercial whaling . Since 2000, 29 new countries have joined the IWC, 18 of them pro-whaling, 11 anti . Japan notes that major anti-whaling nations such as the U.S. Australia, UK and New Zealand also donate aid to poor countries on the IWC and wield far more influence than Japan alone and thus they could easily be accused of the same tactics . Moreover, Japan is pushing to have secret ballot voting . Had the allegations of vote - buying been true, such proposal would run counter to its alleged objective because it is impossible to monitor so called client members' vote . From Japan's point of view, secret ballot voting is the only way to counter the influence pedling of anti whaling side which Japan see as having more powerful collective influence within the IWC . One of the new 2006 members, Israel, voted consistently with the anti-whaling bloc, was asked specifically to join by the US . Belize, a country previously accused of having their vote bought and paid for by Japan by a number of countries and NGO's, shifted side and consistently voted with the anti-whaling block at the 2006 IWC meeting . Anti-whaling nations oppose secret ballot voting on the grounds that it is without precedent in other international bodies and would have removed accountability and made behind - the - scenes deals between delegations more likely . St Kitts and Nevis Commissioner, Cedric Liburd, pointed out to various anti whaling counties during debate on the secret ballot vote on the first day of the 2006 meeting in St Kitts that it was extremely hypocritical of such countries to pontificate on the need for transparency within the IWC by open voting when such countries quite happily voted via secret ballot in CITES, a similar management body . </P> <P> The effectiveness of IWC decisions (at least on smaller whaling states) may be explained in large part by the fact that the United States was willing to act unilaterally in support of them . The pro whaling nations often see the U.S.'s propensity to act outside the IWC framework as "bullying" tactics, while the green and the conservation lobby tend to applaud the U.S. </P> <P> The United States first incorporated the IWC's régime into domestic law in the 1971 Pelly Amendment to the Fisherman's Protective Act of 1967 . This amendment provides that when the Secretary of Commerce determines that the nationals of a foreign country are diminishing the effectiveness of an international fishery conservation program (including the IWC's program), the Secretary shall certify this fact to the President . The President then has the discretion to ban importation of fishing products from the offending country . The United States has threatened sanctions under the Pelly Amendment on a number of occasions . In November 1974, pressure from the United States contributed to Japan and the Soviet Union complying with the 1974 - 1975 quotas . Similarly, in December 1978, Chile, South Korea and Peru acceded to the IWC after the United States certified them under the Amendment . The threatened certification of Spain also led that country to observe a Fin Whale quota to which it had objected . </P> <P> These measures were further strengthened by the 1979 Packwood - Magnuson Amendment to the Fishery Conservation and Management Act of 1976 . It provides that, when the Secretary of Commerce certifies that a country is diminishing the effectiveness of the work of the IWC, the Secretary of State must reduce that country's fishing allocation in U.S. waters by at least 50% . Certification under the Packwood - Magnuson Amendment also serves as certification under the Pelly Amendment . The threatened application in 1980 of the Packwood - Magnuson and Pelly Amendments led South Korea to agree to follow IWC guidelines restricting the use of cold (i.e., non-explosive) harpoons . Faced with similar pressure, the Republic of China (Taiwan) placed a complete ban on whaling in 1981 . Without United States support, it's possible that the 1986 moratorium would have been substantially limited, as nations such as Iceland, Japan, Norway and the Soviet Union would have opted out and continued commercial whaling . </P>

What is the international whaling commission and what has it done to protect whales