Despite the clash with Australia over whale hunting, Japan plans to resume whaling program. In addition to the protests by Australia, Japan is going against United Nations court ruling. Japan plans to resume whaling program by next year in the Antarctic.
Last Wednesday, Japan had negotiated with the International Whaling Commission for them to resume their "scientific" whale hunt. Such plan would allow Japan to kill hundreds upon hundreds of whales all for the sake of scientific research. Despite the ruling of the UN International Court of Justice in March stating Japan's whale hunt was not scientific and produced minimal research, a degree of "scientific" whaling would be allowed under stricter conditions.
Japan plans to resume whaling program has clashed with that of Australia claiming their "scientific" research is only for commercial purposes. Whale hunt for the purpose of research had long been an exemption to the 1986 international ban of whaling for commercial purposes. Japan had used this reason to allow additional hunts not only in their economic zones but also on international waters.
In addition, a number of pro-whaling and anti-whaling countries had clashed during the International Whaling Commission conference held in Portoroz, Slovenia with regards to Japan plans to resume whaling program.
Rather than keeping the whale hunt within their own territory, Japan plans to resume whaling program in international territories such as Antarctica. Japan is the only country set to whale hunt in international waters. Other countries who have conducted whaling for commercial purposes include Norway and Iceland. Yet, both countries only whale hunt within their own territories. As for part of subsistence hunts, countries like the United States and Greenland take part in whaling.
Before Japan plans to resume whaling program, thirty minke whales had already been hunted and killed by the country since the United Nations top court order.
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