SANTIAGO, June 23: The International Whaling Commission, a treaty organisation grouping 80 countries, began meeting in Chile on Monday to debate a possible resumption of commercial whale-hunting.

If the IWC lifts its 22-year ban on whaling, it would seriously deepen divisions between member states opposed to the hunts and those — chiefly Iceland, Japan and Norway — in favour.

Environmental groups including the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) and Greenpeace warned ahead of the meeting that Japan wanted to catch whales in four of its coastal areas for non-scientific ends.

Milko Schvartzman, a regional Greenpeace coordinator, said the position Japan would take during the talks was unclear but that Tokyo would likely press on with its efforts to resume commercial whaling.—AFP