Mr. Lapointe’s intervention comes as Norwegian whalers revealed that, for the first time ever, they have asked their government to oppose the Alaskan quota, complaining of U.S. double standards. The Norwegians are unhappy with the way United States officials vehemently oppose all whale hunting except Alaska-type subsistence whaling.

The proposal in Cambridge could be defeated if Norway, which supported the bowhead quota at the IWC’s annual meeting in Shimonoseki in May, switches its vote. At that meeting the bowhead proposal was defeated by just one vote after State Department officials miscalculated their level of support. A critical vote was lost when the U.S. delegation orchestrated the denial of Iceland’s membership of the IWC after lobbying by animal rights groups.

Mr. Lapointe said: "The State Department screwed up badly in Shimonoseki and now it looks as if they are about to screw up again. Officials have staked the Inupiat’s livelihood in an unnecessary game of high-stakes poker against countries that consistently promote the sustainable use of wildlife. At a time when they need to be making friends, the State Department seems to be making more enemies.

"What is really disturbing is that officials are being egged on by fundamentalist animal rights groups with whom they openly collaborate. The State Department continues to tow the anti-whaling line when stocks of many whale species are increasingly abundant. But these campaigners don’t care about the Inupiat and their traditions. All they care about is the millions of dollars they earn from their fundraising."

At the IWC’s meeting in May, Iceland accused the U.S. of leading a "dirty tricks campaign" against its membership, while a group of small island nations and developing countries branded the U.S. and its allies an "axis of intolerance" against other cultures.