Irish moves to allow a limited resumption of whale hunting have been strongly criticised by environmental organisations.
Ireland is to propose the new conservation regime next week in an effort to curb commercial whaling which has "gone out of control", according to the Irish whale commissioner.
Mr Michael Canny, who takes over the chairmanship of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) for three years at a meeting in Monaco on Monday, said that despite a moratorium introduced 12 years ago, the numbers of whales being killed now was "a major problem".
Mr Canny said: "In 1992, there were 383 whales killed but 1,043 have been killed so far this year. All this whaling is legal under current agreements.
"Norway objected to the moratorium so they can whale legally. Any country can whale for scientific purposes and that is what Japan has been doing.
"What Ireland has decided to do is make a bid to control whaling again. It is not that we want to legalise whaling but we must recognise the reality of the situation." The proposal to allow a limited resumption of whaling would mean disaster for endangered whales if it gets the go-ahead, the London-based Environmental Investigation Agency warned.
Commercial killing of Minke whales has been banned since 1986 but both Japan and Norway still hunt them, using a loophole in the rules which allows "scientific" quota catches.
The new plan would allow Japan and Norway to kill whales off their own coastlines - but in return they would have to accept the establishment of a global sanctuary for whales and the closing of the legal loophole. But environmentalists warn that the vast majority of whales spend some time in coastal waters, so the Irish plan could expose virtually the entire worldwide population to hunting. The Campaign for the Abolition of Cruel Sports said yesterday the Government had taken leave of its senses in proposing the new plan.