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Japan drops humpback whale hunt | Japan drops humpback whale hunt |
(about 1 hour later) | |
A controversial Japanese mission to hunt humpback whales in the Antarctic has been temporarily abandoned, a top government official says. | A controversial Japanese mission to hunt humpback whales in the Antarctic has been temporarily abandoned, a top government official says. |
Nobutaka Machimura said the humpback hunt would not go ahead - although the fleet will still hunt about 1,000 other whales in the area. | |
The BBC's Chris Hogg, in Tokyo, says Japan is now unlikely to chase the humpbacks for at least a year. | |
The move comes after pressure from the International Whaling Commission (IWC). | The move comes after pressure from the International Whaling Commission (IWC). |
Japan is regularly condemned for its annual whaling missions. | Japan is regularly condemned for its annual whaling missions. |
But this year's Antarctic expedition was particularly controversial because, in addition to 935 minke whales and 50 fin whales, the fleet intended to kill up to 50 humpbacks. | |
It was the first time Japan had targeted the humpbacks since a moratorium was introduced in the mid-1960s - when the species had been hunted almost to extinction. | It was the first time Japan had targeted the humpbacks since a moratorium was introduced in the mid-1960s - when the species had been hunted almost to extinction. |
Japan says whaling is necessary for scientific research, but other countries say the same goals could be achieved using non-lethal techniques. | Japan says whaling is necessary for scientific research, but other countries say the same goals could be achieved using non-lethal techniques. |
The US and Australia had been particularly critical of the humpback hunt. | The US and Australia had been particularly critical of the humpback hunt. |
"Japan has decided not to catch humpback whales for one year or two," Mr Machimura told reporters. | |
He said the decision had been reached after a meeting with the IWC. | |
Mr Machimura said the IWC had not been "functioning normally", claiming that the commission had been distorted by ideology. | |
He said Japan would suspend the humpback whale hunt while the IWC held talks on "normalising" its functions. |