Whaling Ships Embark on Research Trip

According to a Kyodo News story, a fleet of whaling ships recently left Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture, to conduct a scientific research program on whales in the Antarctic for the Tokyo-based Institute of Cetacean Research. During the expedition, the institute plans to catch 10 fin whales for the first time. It also plans to double the amount of catch of minke whales to about 850. In June, the International Whaling Commission adopted a nonbinding resolution urging Japan to scrap its research program at its annual meeting in Ulsan, South Korea. Source: Kyodo News.