No. 914                                       Geneva, 20 June 1996


CONCERNING:


                              JAPAN

                   Illegal Trade in Whale Meat


1.In  accordance  with Resolution Conf. 9.12 on Illegal  Trade  in
  Whale  Meat, the Government of Japan has sent to the Secretariat
  the  following three documents, which were also submitted to the
  47th  Meeting of the International Whaling Commission,  held  in
  Dublin, Ireland, in May 1995:

     a)   Known Smuggling Attempts of Whale Meat;

     b)    Minutes of the First Informal Meeting Relating  to  the
     Control of Trade in Whale Products; and

     c)   Result of a Readability Trial of Mitocondrial D-loop DNA
     Sequence of Whale Products Sold in Retail Market.

2.The Government of Japan has asked the Secretariat to send copies
  of these documents to all the Parties for information.

3.The  Secretariat takes this opportunity to thank the  Government
  of  Japan for sending these documents and to encourage the other
  Parties  also to provide any available information about illegal
  trade in whale meat.