Japan considers leaving IWC to resume commercial whale hunts
TOKYO (AP) — Japan is considering leaving the International Whaling Commission to resume commercial hunts, the Fisheries Agency said Thursday, after unsuccessfully campaigning for decades within the organization to gain support for the cause.
The agency said officials haven’t made a final decision but are considering the step.
Japan’s request for a resumption of commercial whaling was most recently denied at the IWC meeting in September. IWC imposed a moratorium on commercial whaling in the 1980s due to dwindling stocks.