International Whaling Commission Chairman William Hogarth plans "to issue a public proposal on Feb. 2 that the commission members will openly debate a month later," the newspaper's website said.

Since commercial whaling was banned by the IWC in 1986, whaling nations such as Japan and antiwhaling countries such as the United States and Britain have engaged in a bitter dispute.

The whaling convention allows Japan to kill the marine mammals as long as it is for scientific purposes. Japan, which has a tradition of consuming whale meat, argues that its research whaling activities are legal under the rules agreed by the IWC.

The tentative plan that Hogarth is working on is aimed at achieving a breakthrough in the dispute, according to the newspaper, but it is highly likely that it will meet opposition from antiwhaling countries.

Joji Morishita, Japan's chief negotiator at the commission, told the Washington Post that the results of the negotiations could determine whether the international body will continue to function.

"It's decision time," Morishita was quoted as saying. "Very important, very serious decisions need to be taken. It is a critical time for this organization."

Up to now, Japan has expressed its intention to withdraw from the IWC or establish a new body unless commercial whaling is permitted again.