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New government marine wildlife code to help reduce dolphin disturbance

The launch today by UK Government of new guidance on how to act responsibly around...

UK government to extend ivory ban to stop the sale of orca teeth

Following the UK ban on the import, export and dealing of elephant ivory in 2022,...

Dead whale beauty products to be sold in Japanese vending machine stores

Antarctic minke whale alongside Japanese whaling ship. Photo © Jeremy Sutton-Hibbert Japanese whale hunting company,...

Arrests made following illegal whale meat smuggling from Japan to South Korea

Customs authorities in Busan, South Korea, have arrested six people for allegedly smuggling at least...

Japanese whale hunt at record low

According to reports from the Japanese fisheries agency, the spring slaughter of minke whales in the northwestern Pacific is at a record-low.

Japanese whalers killed 34 minke whales (17 males and 17 females) between April and June this year and are blaming bad weather for the low numbers caught.

Despite the fact that much of the whale meat is sold to consumers in Japan, the hunts are conducted in the name of “scientific research” in order to get around the international ban on commercial whaling, but the figures are the lowest since the scientific programme began in 2003.

Japan’s other whaling programme in the Southern Ocean also recorded record low catch numbers earlier in the year.

About George Berry

George is a member of WDC's Communications team and website coordinator.