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Japan Will Resume Commercial Whaling, Defying International Ban

HeadlineDec 27, 2018

Japan’s government said Wednesday it is pulling out of the International Whaling Commission and will resume commercial whaling. The move ends a program that allowed Japanese vessels to hunt and kill whales on a limited basis under the pretext of “scientific research.” This is Japan’s cabinet secretary announcing the withdrawal on Wednesday.

Yoshihide Suga: “Japan’s basic policy of promoting sustainable use of aquatic living resources based on scientific evidence has not changed, and under that policy we have decided to resume commercial whaling.”

In a statement, Greenpeace condemned the move and called on Japan to recommit to the International Whaling Commission. But the anti-whaling direct action group Sea Shepherd hailed the withdrawal a victory that would end Japanese whaling in the Antarctic while revealing Japan as a “pirate” whaling nation. Sea Shepherd pledged its boats would continue to confront Japanese whaling vessels on the high seas.

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