What are the whalers smiling at!
As you know the IWC were not willing to let anyone into the meeting leading to jokes about the fact that they might be having their own world cup in there amongst other pursuits.
I actually think its more likely to be a version of 'It's a Knockout' with whoever is left standing gets to decide the numbers to compromise around.
You have to understand the strategy of the whalers over the last 24 years to understand what is going on here. They are experienced at the long game, and this week (and indeed, last two years) is nothing to them.
What they have learned is that they don't have to do anything! In fact, the less that they do or say the more the others panic and eventually capitulate.
So if I were the whalers I would be happy as, - well as happy as I could be.
I think they are saying to themselves,
'I cannot sell all the whale meat I am already producing, but these guys are queuing up to legitimize my whaling and I get to go home and say, "well we fought for you chaps, but look, we did get you legalized commercial whaling, but we just didn't get the quotas we hoped for -- Well not this year, but now we 'own' the game, and next year things can only get better ☺"'
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