Japan hunts fin whales for first time since leaving global whaling body
Japan has hunted at least 25 fin whales in the Sea of Okhotsk, marking the first time the species has been targeted since Tokyo withdrew from the International Whaling Commission (IWC) in 2019.
The whales were captured north of Hokkaido and shipped to Sendai Port in Miyagi Prefecture. Of the 320 tons of whale meat obtained, about 1.6 tons will be sold raw in six markets across Japan, including Tokyo and Osaka, News.Az reports, citing Kyodo News.
Japan resumed commercial whaling in July 2019 after ending its 60-year membership in the IWC, following the organization's rejection of Tokyo's proposal to resume regulated hunting of abundant species. In 2023, Japan’s Fisheries Agency added fin whales to its list of approved species for commercial hunting, with a quota of 60 set for 2025.
Though Japan suspended commercial whaling in 1988, it continued whale hunts under the guise of scientific research—drawing widespread international criticism for using research exemptions to justify commercial whale meat sales.
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