The BBC reports that Japan has announced that it plans to withdraw from the International Whaling Commission (IWC) from July 2019 and to resume commercial whaling thereafter. Japan has argued that the IWC was not committed to one of its stated goals; that of supporting sustainable commercial whaling. Japan argues that the eating of whale meat is a cultural tradition, despite the fact that the bulk of the nation only started eating it after World War Two and currently only 0.1% of the population consumes it. (Image credit: wdeon / Shutterstock.com)

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The Japanese government has announced that it plans to resume whaling in the Southern Ocean this year. This is in direct contravention of a ruling from the International Court of Justice. The BBC reports that the Japanese have announced a reduced quota for the number of whales killed under the guise of scientific research. (Image from Shutterstock).

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A hearing is currently underway in the International Court of Justice (ICJ), The Hague, Netherlands which will rule over Japan’s use of a “scientific” rationale for continuing whaling in the Southern Oceans. Australia brought the case against Japan in the ICJ, which is highest court in the world. Historically, Japan has justified its whaling by using Article VIII of the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling which allows for the harvesting of animals for research purposes.

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