CREWS aboard Japanese whaling ships are stealing and selling whale meat from the scientific expeditions, two whistleblowers allege.

The Federal Government last week lodged a formal application with the International Court of Justice to challenge Japanese whaling in Antarctic waters.



Japan argues its "research whaling" is permitted under the rules of an international moratorium on commercial whaling.



However, the ABC's Foreign Correspondent program - to be aired today - has spoken to two Japanese crewmen who claim whale meat gathered on the trips is being sold onto restaurants, or kept for personal consumption.



One, who calls himself the Japanese equivalent of Mr Whale, is a former crewman on Japan's whaling fleet flagship the Nisshin Maru.



"First, when the ship returns to Japan and arrives in the port, a transport truck is waiting," he said through a translator.



"The crewman will then pack the whale meat they stole into a cardboard box.



"One person carried off 500 to 600kg."



Another whistleblower, who has more than 30 years experience on Japanese whaling ships, said he too had seen evidence of meat harvesting.



"It happened on the container on the bridge, I had to check the temperature everyday and when I went in there, there was a staff member from the Institute of Cetacean Research packing something," he said, also through a translator.



"So I yelled, 'What are you doing?'



"He then tried to hide the package by spreading his arms out - it was red meat from the tail.



"That is the highest quality whale meat."



The Institute of Cetacean Research conducts Japan's whale hunts.

Originally published as Whistleblowers lift lid on Japanese whaling