Japan announces resumption of commercial whaling after 30 years, sets new limits

Japan said Wednesday that it is withdrawing from the International Whaling Commission and will resume commercial whaling next summer, but tempered the news by committing to cease its whale hunting in the Antarctic and the northwest Pacific Ocean. Resuming commercial whaling in Japan's territorial waters and 200-mile economic zone is "in line with Japan's basic policy of promoting sustainable use of aquatic living resources based on scientific evidence," said Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga. "Regrettably, we have reached a decision that it is impossible in the IWC to seek the coexistence of states with different views."

When the IWC imposed a moratorium on commercial whaling in the 1980s, citing the shrinking whale populations, Japan switched to what it calls research whaling. Critics called it thinly veiled commercial whaling, since thousands of tons of whale meat is sold in Japanese markets each year, mostly to older Japanese consumers. Environmental groups and Australia decried Japan's decision, though some analysts suggested that commercial whaling won't be commercially viable since younger Japanese don't appear to consider whale meat food. Suga said Japan will officially notify the IWC by Dec. 31 and will remain committed to international cooperation on marine life management.

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