Nations fail to agree on curbing Japan whale hunt

AGADIR, Morocco (AP) - Nations at a meeting of the International Whaling Commission say they have failed to reach an agreement to curb whale hunts by Japan, Norway and Iceland.

The 88 nations held two days of intense closed-door talks on a proposal to ease the 25-year-old ban on commercial whaling in exchange for smaller catches by the three countries that still kill hundreds of whales every year.

Acting chairman Anthony Liverpool told an open meeting Wednesday that "fundamental positions remained very much apart."

U.S. chief delegate Monica Medina said discussions "are at an impasse" and the U.S. objective remains to "save whales now."