The general assembly was originally scheduled to discuss a proposal, among other focal issues, by a panel of selected IWC members to allow Japan to hunt whales in its coastal waters in return for scaling down or ending its "research whaling" in the Antarctic Ocean.

The proposal is designed to bridge the gap between Japan and antiwhaling nations over the Japanese hunting of whales in the Antarctic.

But due to confrontation between Japan and Australia over the compromise proposal, the panel decided in May to postpone the preparation of its final report for one year.

The current general meeting through Friday is expected to pave the way for renewed work toward a compromise proposal for adoption at next year's gathering, assembly sources said.