Japan Whaling

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.

The researchers are also not able to reach the orcas due to the large packs of floating ice. Since there is no wind, the ice packs are not moving so that space can be made for the pods to escape.

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.

A number of whales and orcas captured to perform in aquariums and held in cramped pens have been released into the wild, but experts warned the mammals may not survive after being held in captivity for months.

At least 87 passengers in a high speed ferry were injured in an apparent collision with a marine animal in the sea of Japan on Saturday, coastguards and media said.

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.

Australia has threated to take legal action against Japan's resumption of Antarctic whaling. Australia's foreign and environmental ministers said in a statement Monday that the country has joined 32 others to oppose a Japanese whaling expedition that left last week to catch up to 333 minke whales in the Antarctic.

New Zealand led an international protest today against Japan's plans to resume killing whales in the Southern Ocean, while Australia said it was considering further legal action.

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.

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.

The researchers are also not able to reach the orcas due to the large packs of floating ice. Since there is no wind, the ice packs are not moving so that space can be made for the pods to escape.

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.

A number of whales and orcas captured to perform in aquariums and held in cramped pens have been released into the wild, but experts warned the mammals may not survive after being held in captivity for months.

At least 87 passengers in a high speed ferry were injured in an apparent collision with a marine animal in the sea of Japan on Saturday, coastguards and media said.

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.

Australia has threated to take legal action against Japan's resumption of Antarctic whaling. Australia's foreign and environmental ministers said in a statement Monday that the country has joined 32 others to oppose a Japanese whaling expedition that left last week to catch up to 333 minke whales in the Antarctic.

New Zealand led an international protest today against Japan's plans to resume killing whales in the Southern Ocean, while Australia said it was considering further legal action.

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.