Japan Whale Hunting

Japan has expanded its commercial whaling to include fin whales, the second-largest animal species on the planet, a decision criticised by Australia's government on Thursday.

It was a catch three decades in the making, and when the Japanese whalers brought ashore one of their first minke after the resumption of commercial hunting, the moment was marked with ceremony.

Japan is withdrawing from the International Whaling Commission and will resume commercial whaling next year, a government spokesman said Wednesday, in a move expected to spark international criticism.

More than 120 pregnant minke whales were killed during Japan's latest annual hunt off the coast of Antarctica, a new report said.

Japanese whaling vessels returned to port on Saturday after catching more than 300 of the mammals in the Antarctic Ocean without facing any protests by anti-whaling groups, officials said.

A Japanese whaling fleet returned to port on Friday after an annual Antarctic hunt that killed more than 300 of the mammals as Tokyo pursues the programme in defiance of global criticism.

Japanese whalers returned to port today after an Antarctic hunt that killed more than 300 of the mammals, the government said.

Australia is "very disappointed" at Tokyo's decision to resume whaling in the Antarctic Ocean, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said today as he readied for talks with Japanese premier Shinzo Abe.

A Japanese whaling fleet set sail for the Antarctic today, on a mission to resume the slaughter after a one-year pause, with environmentalists slamming the move as a "crime against nature".

Japan's whaling fleet leaves on Tuesday for the Antarctic for a three-month, scaled-down hunt, the government said, despite protests from opponents who say Tokyo has not proven that whales need to be killed for research.

Environmental activist group Sea Shepherd today warned Japan against resuming "research" whaling in the Antarctic while calling on the Australian government to intervene.

Japan's chief whaling negotiator confirmed today its ships would return to the Antarctic this year, despite a call by global regulators to provide more evidence that the hunt has a scientific purpose.

Japan hopes to resume whale hunting in the Antarctic later this year, a top official said today, despite a finding by the International Whaling Commission (IWC) that Tokyo had yet to prove the kill was scientifically justified.

Japan announced that it had wrapped up a whale hunt in the Pacific, the second campaign since the UN's top court ordered Tokyo to halt a separate slaughter in the Antarctic.

Japan has slaughtered 30 minke whales off its northeast coast, in the first hunt since the UN's top court ordered Tokyo to stop killing the animals in the Antarctic, the government said.

Japan has expanded its commercial whaling to include fin whales, the second-largest animal species on the planet, a decision criticised by Australia's government on Thursday.

It was a catch three decades in the making, and when the Japanese whalers brought ashore one of their first minke after the resumption of commercial hunting, the moment was marked with ceremony.

Japan is withdrawing from the International Whaling Commission and will resume commercial whaling next year, a government spokesman said Wednesday, in a move expected to spark international criticism.

More than 120 pregnant minke whales were killed during Japan's latest annual hunt off the coast of Antarctica, a new report said.

Japanese whaling vessels returned to port on Saturday after catching more than 300 of the mammals in the Antarctic Ocean without facing any protests by anti-whaling groups, officials said.

A Japanese whaling fleet returned to port on Friday after an annual Antarctic hunt that killed more than 300 of the mammals as Tokyo pursues the programme in defiance of global criticism.

Japanese whalers returned to port today after an Antarctic hunt that killed more than 300 of the mammals, the government said.

Australia is "very disappointed" at Tokyo's decision to resume whaling in the Antarctic Ocean, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said today as he readied for talks with Japanese premier Shinzo Abe.

A Japanese whaling fleet set sail for the Antarctic today, on a mission to resume the slaughter after a one-year pause, with environmentalists slamming the move as a "crime against nature".

Japan's whaling fleet leaves on Tuesday for the Antarctic for a three-month, scaled-down hunt, the government said, despite protests from opponents who say Tokyo has not proven that whales need to be killed for research.

Environmental activist group Sea Shepherd today warned Japan against resuming "research" whaling in the Antarctic while calling on the Australian government to intervene.

Japan's chief whaling negotiator confirmed today its ships would return to the Antarctic this year, despite a call by global regulators to provide more evidence that the hunt has a scientific purpose.

Japan hopes to resume whale hunting in the Antarctic later this year, a top official said today, despite a finding by the International Whaling Commission (IWC) that Tokyo had yet to prove the kill was scientifically justified.

Japan announced that it had wrapped up a whale hunt in the Pacific, the second campaign since the UN's top court ordered Tokyo to halt a separate slaughter in the Antarctic.

Japan has slaughtered 30 minke whales off its northeast coast, in the first hunt since the UN's top court ordered Tokyo to stop killing the animals in the Antarctic, the government said.