Japan whale hunting: Commercial

whaling to restart in July

Japan says it is to restart commercial whaling in July in a move that is likely to

draw international criticism.

It said it would withdraw from the International Whaling Commission (IWC), the body
tasked with whale conservation.

Commercial whaling was banned by the IWC in 1986 after some species were driven
almost to extinction.

Officials in Japan, an IWC member since 1951, say eating whales is part of the
country's culture.

For many years Japan has hunted whales for what it calls "scientific research" and to
sell the meat, a programme widely criticised by conservationists.

Wednesday's announcement had been expected, but conservation groups warn the
move will have serious consequences.

It means Japan will be able to freely hunt species currently protected by the IWC, like
minke whales.

What did Japan just announce?

Government spokesman Yoshihide Suga said commercial whaling would be

restricted to Japanese territorial waters and economic zones.

As a result, Japan will stop hunting in Antarctic waters and the southern hemisphere,
a prospect conservation groups had welcomed before it was formally confirmed.
▪ Could the ban on killing whales end?
▪ Japan and the whale

A statement by Japan's government said the IWC was not committed enough to one
of its goals, of supporting sustainable commercial whaling.

It accused the IWC of being focused only on the aim of conserving numbers.
Image copyrightAFP/GETTY IMAGESImage captionSushi made of whale meat and blubber sold in
Miyagi prefecture

A number of coastal communities in Japan have hunted whales for centuries,

but consumption in the country surged only after World War Two when whales
were the main source of meat. It has plummeted in recent decades.

According to Japan's Asahi newspaper, whale meat makes up only 0.1% of all meat
sold in Japan.

What's been the reaction?

In a joint statement, Australia's Foreign Minister Marise Payne and Environment
Minister Melissa Price said they were "extremely disappointed" with Japan's
decision.

"Australia remains resolutely opposed to all forms of commercial and so-called

'scientific' whaling," the statement added.

Before the formal announcement was made, Nicola Beynon, head of campaigns at
Humane Society International in Australia, said Japan would be "operating
completely outside the bounds of international law".

She added: "This is the path of a pirate whaling nation, with a troubling disregard for
international rule."

Greenpeace Japan urged the government to reconsider, and warned it would risk
criticism as the host of the G20 summit in June.

Sam Annesley, Greenpeace Japan's executive director, said: "It's clear that the
government is trying to sneak in this announcement at the end of year, away from the
spotlight of international media, but the world sees this for what it is.
"The declaration today is out of step with the international community, let alone the
protection needed to safeguard the future of our oceans and these majestic
creatures."

What is the current whaling ban?

In 1986, IWC members agreed to a moratorium on hunting to allow stocks to recover.

Pro-whaling nations expected the moratorium to be temporary, until consensus could

be reached on sustainable catch quotas.

Image copyrightAFPImage captionCurrently, Japan kills whales under a so-called scientific

research programme

Instead, it became a quasi-permanent ban. Whaling nations, such as Japan, Norway

and Iceland, however argue the practice is part of their culture and should continue in
a sustainable way.

Today, whale stocks are carefully monitored, and while many species are still
endangered, others - like the minke whale that Japan primarily hunts - are not.
▪ Japanese whaling: why the hunts go on

In September, Tokyo tried to get the IWC to allow commercial catch quotas but the
proposal was rejected.

Can Japan just leave?

It will still be bound by certain international laws, despite leaving the IWC.

The UN Convention on the Law of the Sea binds countries to co-operate on the
conservation of whales "through the appropriate international organisations for their
conservation, management and study". The text does not say which international
organisation that is.

Japan could either try to set up another international body if it manages to get
enough other countries to sign up - or join an existing one like the North Atlantic
Marine Mammal Commission (Nammco) instead.

Like a smaller version of the IWC, Nammco is a grouping of pro-whaling nations -

Norway, Iceland, Greenland and the Faroe Islands - born out of frustration with the
IWC.

Hasn't Japan been whaling all along?

Yes, Japan has been hunting whales for the past 30 years but under a scientific
programme, granted as an exception under the IWC ban.

Critics say the practice is a cover for what actually amounts to commercial whaling.

Image copyrightGETTY IMAGESImage captionCurrently, Japan takes around 300 to 400 whales
each year

It means that whales can be taken for scientific studies and the meat can later be
sold for consumption.

Japan has caught between about 200 and 1,200 whales each year, saying it is
investigating stock levels to see whether the whales are endangered or not.

Why can't the IWC agree?

Japan has repeatedly tried to overturn the moratorium and secure agreement on
sustainable catch quotas.
The last attempt to do so came in September at an IWC summit in Brazil.

Japan offered a package of measures, including setting up a Sustainable Whaling

Committee and sustainable catch limits "for abundant whale stocks/species".

The proposal was voted down. Since then there has been talk of the country simply
leaving the body so it will no longer be bound by its rules.