Japan defies claims it’s killing for meat to resume whaling in the Antarctic

Japan will resume research whaling in the Antarctic by the end of March next year, despite a lack of evidence that it has a scientific purpose. The move came after a one-season suspension of its hunting in the ocean because the UN judged it was a fig leaf for commercial hunting. Now, Japan’s fisheries agency has told the International Whaling Commission it will resume whaling, cutting annual minke whale catches by two-thirds to 333 this season. But the IWC says Japan has failed to explain why it wanted to kill almost 4,000 minke whales in the Antarctic over the next 12 years.

Japan cannot unilaterally decide whether it has adequately addressed the scientific committee’s questions

Environment minister Greg Hunt says Australia will fight the decision

Despite international disapproval, Japan has hunted whales in the Southern Ocean under an exemption allowing for lethal research. Meat from the mammals is processed into food and Japan says the whale population is big enough to allow some hunting. However, the highest court of the United Nations, the International Court of Justice, ruled in March 2014 that the annual Southern Ocean expedition was a commercial hunt masquerading as science. Respecting the judgement, Japan sent whaling ships to the ocean last season but they returned with no catch. Following the latest announcement, ships are expected to set sail for the Antarctic next month.

It is clear that Japan’s research objectives can be met using non-lethal means.

New Zealand’s acting foreign minister Todd McClay