According to British media, The Sunday Times, it had evidence suggesting that Japan has bribed small nations to support its attempts to lift a 24-year-old moratorium on commercial whaling. The media claimed that it has found officials from St Kitts and Nevis, Grenada, the Marshall Islands, Kiribati, Guinea and Ivory Coast were willing to discuss selling their votes at the International Whaling Commission (IWC).
They admitted they voted with the pro-whaling grouping because of the aid they received from Japan, or because they were given cash or call girls. As per the Sunday Times Japan denies the claims and the ministry of foreign affairs issued a statement saying that the government of Japan does not cover any cost of any other IWC member countries related to the IWC.
After that a sting operation was carried out by the paper which found that Japan is expected to push its case for allowing more whaling. Undercover reporters posing as representatives of a Swiss billionaire conservationist approached officials from pro-whaling countries and offered them an aid package to switch their vote. In the midst of conversation the officials revealed their Japanese support. The top fisheries official for Guinea said Tokyo usually gave his minister a “minimum” of 1,000 dollars a day spending money during IWC and other fisheries meetings.
