Posts Tagged ‘Japanese whaling’
Japanese whale research ship returns with no whales on board
The first Japanese vessel to carry out whale research in the Antarctic Ocean since the country officially withdrew last year from the International Whaling Commission (IWC – the body that regulates whaling) has returned to port without catching a whale. On 26 December 2018, the Japanese government announced its withdrawal from the IWC in order to officially…
Read MoreWhaling and dolphin hunts in Japan – it’s all money and politics
I have been busy representing WDC in a number of press interviews on the launch of the annual dolphin hunts in Taiji, Japan and the renewed whaling effort under the Japanese government’s self-allocated whaling quotas. This is the first year Japanese whalers have been hunting outside of the jurisdiction of the International Whaling Commission (IWC,…
Read MoreOver 300 more whales killed by Japanese hunting fleet
Japanese whaling vessels have returned to port from the Antarctic Ocean after killing 333 minke whales as planned. The fleet, consisting of the Yushin Maru (724 tons), The 3rd Yushin Maru (742 tons)., and three other vessels, including the factory ship, Nisshin Maru (8145 tons) and the 2nd Yushin Maru (747 tons), left Japan for the…
Read MoreJapanese plans to build new whale hunting ship attracts widespread criticism
The Japanese Fisheries Agency has reiterated plans to begin the process of building a new whale hunting vessel in 2018 to lead its whaling fleet in the future, a controversial move that is likely to attract widespread international criticism. The new ship will replace the Nisshin Maru, the 8,145-ton mother ship of the whaling fleet…
Read MoreJapanese government faces criticism from its own people over new whale hunt plans
In an unusual press event today, Japanese government officials faced criticism from within the country over plans to resume commercial whaling, which is currently banned by the International Whaling Commission (the body that regulates the hunts). The panel discussion took place between Kiyoshi Ejima representing Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party, Shigeki Takaya, director of Whaling Affairs Office at…
Read MoreJapanese government announces increase in 'scientific' whale slaughter
The Japanese government has revealed its plans to increase the number of whales it wants to catch and kill in the Northwestern Pacific for so-called research. Despite the scientific value of ‘research’ hunts being criticised by International Union for the Conservation of Nature and the International Whaling Commission’s own Scientific Committee of experts, the Japanese…
Read More