On one side are Japan, China, Russia, Norway, Iceland and a host of small developing countries. On the other stand the US, India, Brazil, Australia and most of Europe. The International Whaling Commission meeting in St Kitts is throwing up some strange diplomatic alliances - and bitterly dividing countries that would be united on almost any other international issue.

On Sunday Japan and its supporters pushed through, by 33 votes to 32, a symbolic resolution calling for a resumption of commercial whaling after a 20-year moratorium. They vowed yesterday to push on to win the 75 per cent majority that would be needed actually to end the moratorium.