Whaling commission ponders suspending hunting ban

AGADIR, Morocco (AP) - The International Whaling Commission is holding its most important meeting in decades, as nations ponder whether to suspend the porous 25-year ban on commercial hunting in favor of a more enforceable regime of limited whaling.

A proposal before the 88-member commission aims to get Japan, Norway and Iceland to reduce the number of whales they kill each year in exchange for ending their rogue status.

Many nations oppose sanctioning whale hunting, while others would agree if the Antarctic whale sanctuary is respected and the number of whales killed is drastically reduced.

Within minutes of the conference opening Monday, the commission chairman suspended regular sessions and called for two days of closed bilateral meetings to see whether a compromise is possible.