Lisbon/Funchal - Environmentalists Tuesday expressed concern that the International Whaling Commission (IWC) may shun key decisions as its five-day meeting on Madeira went into its second day.

The 61st annual IWC meeting brought hundreds of delegates from 85 countries to the Portuguese island.

The meeting was likely to take "no controversial decisions," representatives from various environmental lobby groups told the German Press Agency dpa.

"That would send a terrible signal to the public opinion," said Sandra Altherr of the organization Pro Wildlife.

The IWC was discussing Denmark's proposal to allow Greenland's indigenous inhabitants to hunt 50 humpback whales over five years.

Greenland residents currently hunt a restricted number of large whales and more than 4,000 smaller whales in what is regarded as subsistence whaling.

Denmark argues that allowing a limited hunt of humpback whales would not endanger the species.

The European Union was split over the issue, with Germany and Britain opposing the Danish proposal while Sweden, Finland, Slovenia and Italy wanted the EU to abstain in the vote, according to non- governmental organisation (NGO) sources.

"If the EU does not vote, other countries may also abstain, which would make it easier for the pro-whaling camp to get the necessary three-quarters majority," said Nicolas Entrup of the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (WDCS).

Later in the day, however, environmentalists were hopeful that the IWC would reject the Danish proposal.

Another key issue at the meeting was Japan's request to authorize quasi-commercial whaling off its coast in exchange for scaling down its "scientific" whaling programme which kills up to 1,000 whales annually.

Critics say the scientific whaling is only a cover-up for commercial whaling, because much of the whale meat is sold for consumption.

Norway and Iceland are the only countries that officially do not abide by the 1986 international moratorium on whale hunting.

Whaling countries often justify the practice by citing tradition, but Madeira regional Tourism Minister Conceicao Estudante said traditions could change.

Between 1940 and 1980, thousands of sperm whales were killed off Madeira, where the hunt was converted into whale-watching by tourists.

"We are an example of how old customs can be converted into economically and environmentally viable activities," Estudante said.(dpa)