Captured short-finned pilot whales are seen on the deck of a whaling ship at a port in Japan's oldest whaling village of Taiji, Wakayama Prefecture. (Image credit: REUTERS/file via Japan Today)

Japan continues to resume commercial whaling on July 1

Faradita Prayusti
Business & Industry
Foods & Service
Jun 30, 2019
2142
Japan quits from the International Whaling Commission (IWC) on Sunday, June 30. The country decides to continue commercial whaling for the first time after 31 years, starting from July 1, 2019. It is reported that whaling boats will depart from ports in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture, and Kushiro, Hokkaido.

The country’s withdrawal from IWC is not surprising since Japan has announced the plan in December last year.

The decision was made after Japan did the scientific research whaling for about 30 years, started in in 1987, the researchers collected ecological data on whales, including their numbers in the Antarctic Ocean. The finding showed several hundred of Minke whales in the Antartic and North Pacific caught every year.

Joined the IWC in 1951, for decades Japan has been constantly opposing the hunting whales issue although it caused widespread anger, including the U.S - the country’s ally.

Starting on Monday, the commercial whaling with target Minke, Bryde’s and Sei whales will begin in Japanese territorial waters and its exclusive economic zones.

Regarding the existence of the whales, The Fisheries Agency to ensure that“ whales will not go extinct even in 100 years” will immediately calculate and publish the catch limit.

As rivalry in the marine resources sector is getting tight, Japan can feel the tensions since the country is one of the world's largest consumers of seafood. The conservatives side in Shinzo Abe administration is afraid that Japan will be asked to stop fishing for tuna or something else if the country discontinues on whaling.

Comparing to beef and pork, whale meats have protein with a little carbon footprint.

Source: http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0005843476

Japan , Fishing , Whale , IWC , International-Whaling-Commission