U.S. Protests Japan’s Announced Return to Whaling in the Antarctic The United States government has expressed deep regrets that Japan’s whaling fleet departed on November 15, 2006 to continue a controversial hunt for research purposes in the Antarctic. Japan has announced that it will kill up to 935 minke whales and ten fin whales under a special provision of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) that many nations believe is a loophole for banned commercial whaling. The United States is very concerned about changes in the scale and nature of Japan’s research whaling; Japan’s whaling far exceeds all previous scientific hunts over the 59-year history of the IWC. In 2005, Japan began a new, long-term research program in the Antarctic (known as JARPA II) without having first analyzed the results of its prior 18 year research program (JARPA I), which included the killing of thousands of Antarctic minke whales. Under JARPA II, Japan is more than doubling its harvest of Antarctic minke whales to about 935, and including the take of two new whale stocks – fin whales and humpback whales. For more information, read the
U.S. Protests Japan’s Announced Return to Whaling in the Antarctic
The United States government has expressed deep regrets that Japan’s whaling fleet departed on November 15, 2006 to continue a controversial hunt for research purposes in the Antarctic. Japan has announced that it will kill up to 935 minke whales and ten fin whales under a special provision of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) that many nations believe is a loophole for banned commercial whaling.
The United States is very concerned about changes in the scale and nature of Japan’s research whaling; Japan’s whaling far exceeds all previous scientific hunts over the 59-year history of the IWC. In 2005, Japan began a new, long-term research program in the Antarctic (known as JARPA II) without having first analyzed the results of its prior 18 year research program (JARPA I), which included the killing of thousands of Antarctic minke whales. Under JARPA II, Japan is more than doubling its harvest of Antarctic minke whales to about 935, and including the take of two new whale stocks – fin whales and humpback whales.
For more information, read the
NOAA news story.