The hunts come after Japan decided to withdraw from the International Whaling Commission (IWC), a move slammed by activists and anti-whaling countries, but welcomed by Japanese whaling communities. “Today is the best day,” said Yoshifumi Kai, head of the Japan Small-Type Whaling Association, as the whales were hauled ashore. “People have hunted whales for more than 400 years in my home town.”As an IWC member, Japan was banned from commercial hunts of large whales, though it could catch small varieties in waters near its coastline. However, it also used a provision for scientific research to carry out controversial hunts of whales in protected Antarctic waters. With its withdrawal from the IWC, Tokyo will carry out whale hunting off Japan, but will end the most contentious hunts in the Antarctic.

Source: Taipei Times July 01, 2019 15:56 UTC