The United States formally objected Thursday to Japan's latest Antarctic whaling expedition, casting doubt on Tokyo's assertion that the program serves scientific rather than commercial purposes.
A six-vessel Japanese fleet departed Wednesday with authorization under an International Whaling Commission (IWC) research exemption to kill up to 850 minke whales and 10 fin whales before April. US envoy Bill Hogarth said the hunt represents an expansion of lethal research that is largely unnecessary, since research goals can be met without killing the animals.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration added that many countries view Japan's IWC exemption as a loophole around the commercial whaling ban in place since 1986. Hogarth cautioned that the growing scale of Japan's catches risks deepening divisions within the IWC. Iceland also announced last month it would restart commercial whaling despite widespread international objection.
Minke whales, the smallest of the seven great whale species, reach up to 11 meters in length and about eight tons in weight. Fin whales, the second largest, can grow to 24 meters and weigh up to 64 tons. The World Conservation Union classifies fin whales as endangered.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in November 2006, in its own words.