A court ruling from the International Court of Justice has just forced Japan to reduce its whale-hunting activities in the Antarctic Ocean. Japan previously argued that their whale-hunting activities were for scientific reasons and with research in mind, but it turns out there was more of an economic incentive at stake. Thus, the court ruling restricts Japan’s rights to whale-hunting, and instead only allows observation and research, without animals being harmed in the process.
Japan’s whale-hunting activities in the Pacific Ocean haven’t been limited however. Japan’s Fisheries Minister, Yoshimasa Hayashi gave details on the matter last Friday, when he mentioned that Japan’s quote for the Pacific was reduced to 210 specimens, from an original target of 380. With whales often being regarded as an endangered species, this decision can only please ecologists, who argue that the numbers are still too high. Japan’s whale hunting season in the Pacific normally starts around this period and lasts until May