Hundreds of whales will be killed Glenn Lockitch/Sea Shepherd Global

THE harpoons are out. Norway’s whaling fleet is setting sail this week, with a kill quota of 999 minke whales. The mammals will be caught for meat, and 90 per cent are likely to be pregnant females. And Japan’s fleet has just returned to port with its cargo of 333 minkes, but will be heading out again soon to catch endangered sei whales in the north Pacific Ocean, claiming it is for scientific research.

This comes as yet another report condemns as unnecessary the killing of whales for scientific research. Issued by a panel of the International Whaling Commission – the body that introduced a moratorium on commercial whaling in 1996 – the report rejects the rationale behind Japan’s proposal for killing whales in the north Pacific for scientific research. “The proposal does not adequately justify the need for lethal sampling,” the report says. The panel recommends no whales should be killed until additional work is undertaken and reviewed.

“An expert report doesn’t see any value in Japan’s scientific whale hunting. It’s utterly pointless”


Conservation groups say the panel’s report adds to mounting evidence that Japan’s “scientific whaling” programme has no scientific justification.

“It’s yet another example that when an independent panel looks at the science, they can’t see any value in it,” says Matt Collis, from the International Fund for Animal Welfare. “It’s so utterly pointless.”

Norway, meanwhile, continues whaling for commercial purposes.

This article appeared in print under the headline “Open whale season”