2009-04-14

Japan’s Whalers Return From Antarctica

Japan’s annual Antarctic whale hunt season has ended, with fewer whales being killed than intended.

Japanese whalers killed 679 minke whales out of a planned take of up to 935; they also killed one fin whale, despite having a target of 50.

The whalers have blamed the reduced number of whales killed on disruptions caused by activists and bad weather.

Japan continues to hunt whales despite a ban on commercial whaling, by claiming the killing is for scientific purposes. However, meat from the hunts is sold in supermarkets and restaurants throughout Japan.

Despite a reduction in the market demand for whale meat, Japan is now proposing to overturn the ban on commercial whaling by offering to reduce its scientific whale killing in the Antarctic in return for legalising commercial whaling around its coastline.

A spokesperson for WDCS said: “Any acceptance of commercial whaling would be a disaster for the world’s whales and could open the floodgates for other nations to start their own whale hunts. We urge the anti-whaling nations to strongly oppose this dangerous deal with Japan.”