In many countries the general public has only heard one perspective about whaling. People have no idea why some other countries would kill whales, much less eat them, because they have no tradition of use of these animals for food. The perspective that it is wrong to eat whales is incorrect, and offensive to millions of people.

The incorrect information is often distributed by organizations that oppose wildlife management in any form, and particularly the trade in wildlife products. These same anti-use groups also oppose any scientific research that involves killing animals in order to learn about their role in the environment.

There is no legal or scientific basis to the anti-use protesters objection to the use of whales by Japan, Norway and Iceland. These people are simply opposed on cultural grounds.

When nations are active at the International Whaling Commission (IWC), all of them know that they are being scrutinized by the anti-use groups, and they know that their policies on wildlife management, scientific research, and trade in wildlife products, are going to be discussed by these groups and then fed to a waiting media. Anti-use groups label these nations 'anti-environment' and will declare that there actions could lead to the immediate extinction of all cetaceans.

The media are interested in any controversy, and are often careless about checking their facts. Very few media outlets present whaling accurately or balanced. They know the cultural preferences of their audience and do not want to take chances with their own credibility. This means that countries such as Japan that have a cultural heritage of whaling are often portrayed as 'cruel', and flaunting international opinion.

However, pro-whaling nations are not alone in this media-driven portrayal of their actions. Numerous African nations have serious problems with management of elephants and other large wildlife species. The same groups that oppose whaling also oppose the development of scientific sustainable use programs for African species as a sensible way forward for people to live in harmony with nature.

So, whilst the whaling nations may be very frustrated that the majority of the world's nations currently preventing them from resumption of commercial whaling they need to understand that such behaviour is not their fault, and they need to know that they are not alone in suffering this imperial treatment.

Japan is a world leader in investigating marine ecosystems, and the role of cetaceans in the world's oceans. Japanese delegates at IWC have consistently provided accurate information to other nations about the need to investigate, manage and harvest abundant Minke whales. It is regrettable that the anti-use nations at IWC appear do all they can to denigrate and deny others the right to use their traditional resources.

Perhaps whales are not important to these anti-use nations. Rather, power is important to them and the attendant world and local media attention, and praise by the so-called 'environmental' organizations that are influenced by that power.

This is the evolving social and cultural environment of the IWC. The International Convention for the Regulation of Waling was written in 1948 by people who believed in the scientific basis for sustainably managing whales. The CITES Treaty was also fashioned on the same lines of scientific management guiding the sustainable trade in endangered species. Unfortunately the IWC and CITES are currently being hijacked by an agenda that has more to do with wildlife protection than wildlife management and sustainable use.

We must not despair about the social realities of the current situation at IWC, but strengthen our efforts to find ways to overcome it. One drastic solution would for the pro-whaling nations to leave IWC. A more positive way forward would be the development of a sustainable use lobby group, featuring a number of similar issues, and discussing the scientific basis for management of the world's natural resources.

There are many positive cultural, social, and political facts that should be given equal weight by the media when they undertake whaling stories. We live in an era of global communication and the better we are informed the more successful we shall all be in working together in ensuring that sustainable use is seen in a positive light by common people, and our political leaders.

• Crocodiles and sea turtles
• Agricultural issues
• Forestry issues
• Hunting and fur-bearing issues - eg seal harvest/elephants and ivory