Two conservation groups say Japan is using its overseas aid to persuade Caribbean states to back its pro-whaling policy.

The groups are the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (WDCS), based in the west of England, and the Worldwide Fund for Nature-UK (WWF).

The allegation comes as delegates head for one of the states concerned, Grenada, for the 1999 meeting of the International Whaling Commission. The IWC meeting runs from 24 to 28 May.

An IWC moratorium on commercial whaling has been in force since 1986, but members can kill unlimited numbers of whales of any species in the name of scientific research.

Binding decisions

Japan killed 389 Antarctic minke whales this year for research. Norway, the only other country with an active whaling fleet, plans to catch 753 north Atlantic minkes.

Minkes face the greatest threat - but other species could follow

It objected to the moratorium decision, and so is not bound by it. Voting requires a three-quarters majority to pass any binding decision.

Japan and its supporters control more than a quarter of the votes, so they can block anything they do not like. The WDCS says Japan has been buying up the votes of small island states which are IWC members.

"Since 1993, Japan has launched a concerted effort to secure the unwavering support of several Caribbean nations through huge grant programmes that appear to benefit Japan more than the recipient countries.

'Power of the yen'

"Japan is seeking to undermine the will of the international community through the power of the yen," the group says.

It says the potential for whale watching in the Caribbean is large, but mainly untapped, and could far exceed Japan's aid. WWF says the five Caribbean states in the IWC used to support the moratorium, but have changed their stance since Japan began helping them.

They are Grenada, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, St Lucia, and St Vincent and the Grenadines. WWF says Japanese aid has built sophisticated fish processing plants, harbours and markets.

But with many inshore fisheries near collapse, it says, many of the new facilities are useless. Some "are being put to other uses such as T-shirt factories".

"The ice-making facilities are now used to supply luxury yachts with ice cubes for drinks."