Japan Resumes Commercial Fin Whale Hunting
(MENAFN) Japan has hunted at least 25 fin whales for the first time since it withdrew from the International Whaling Commission (IWC) in 2019.
This marks a significant return to commercial whaling after several years of absence.
The fin whales were caught in the Sea of Okhotsk, located north of Hokkaido’s northern island, and their meat was transported to Sendai Port in Miyagi province on Monday, according to a Japanese news agency.
Out of the 320 tons of fin whale meat harvested, approximately 1.6 tons will be distributed as raw meat to six different markets nationwide, including major cities like Tokyo and Osaka.
Following its departure from the IWC, Japan's Fisheries Agency included fin whales among its official commercial whaling species last year.
The government has established a hunting quota of 60 fin whales for the current year.
Japan officially resumed commercial whaling in July 2019, ending its membership in the IWC after more than 60 years.
The country had long championed whaling practices worldwide but faced opposition from the commission.
In September 2018, the IWC rejected Japan’s request to recommence commercial hunting of whale species considered plentiful.
While Japan ceased commercial whaling in 1988, its whaling vessels continued to operate in international waters under the guise of "research purposes."
This practice drew widespread international criticism, with many viewing it as a covert continuation of commercial whaling.
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