Japanese media is reporting that the country's fisheries minister is considering scaling back its so-called research whaling in the Antarctic.

In exchange the Japanese want a resumption of commercial whaling in their own waters.

Japan's Asahi Shimbun newspaper is reporting that fisheries minister Hirotaka Akamatsu will outline his proposal at the meeting of the International Whaling Commission in Morocco in June.

The plan to scale back Antarctic whaling in exchange for the resumption of commercial hunts of minke whales off Japan's coast represents a major shift in policy.

Japan is reportedly already discussing the proposal with anti-whaling nations such as the United States and pro-whaling countries such as Norway.