Japan resumes commercial whaling for first time in 30 years
Previously, Japanese whalers slaughtered almost 1,000 whales a year, amid confrontations on the high seas with the marine conservation group Sea Shepherd.
JUSTIN MCCURRY: ‘Japanese fishermen have set sail to hunt whales commercially for the first time in more than three decades after Tokyo’s controversial decision to withdraw from the International Whaling Commission. Five vessels, their harpoons concealed beneath tarpaulins, left Kushiro in northern Japan on Monday morning. At around the same time, three whaling boats left Shimonoseki in south-western Japan.
The first whales were brought ashore hours later: two grey minke whales. One of the animals, more than eight metres long, was hoisted from a ship onto a truck and driven to a warehouse where whalers lined up to pour ceremonial cups of sake over its body – a ritual to purify and celebrate the catch…
The five Kushiro vessels will together kill 227 whales through late December, according to the fisheries agency, which had delayed announcing the quota until the conclusion of the G20 summit in Osaka on Saturday. The quota includes 52 minke, 150 Bryde’s and 25 sei whales, the agency said…
Japan’s whalers killed 333 minke whales during their final “research” expedition to the Antarctic, which ended in March. In previous years, however, they slaughtered almost 1,000 whales a year, amid confrontations on the high seas with the marine conservation group Sea Shepherd’. SOURCE…
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