Subscribe to one of our news e-mail lists. Shrugging off worries of possible U.S. sanctions over its expanded whale hunt, Japan sent off a fleet of ships for the Antarctic on Friday on a mission to take 400 minke whales over the next five months. The hunt comes as U.S. President Bill Clinton is deciding whether to recommend sanctions against Japan over the expansion of its hunt in the North Pacific from minke whales to include Bryde's and sperm whales, both protected under U.S. law. Tokyo argues that it conducts valuable research on sea resources through its whale catch, and denies that the hunting endangers any species.
Critics say the program is simply a cover to supply Japanese restaurants with pricey whale meat.
The dispute is beginning to dog Japanese officials internationally. Clinton brought up the conflict in talks on Thursday with Japanese Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Brunei. Clinton told Mori the hunt could hurt vital U.S.-Japan relations, but did not specifically mention sanctions. Clinton is expected to decide in December or before leaving office in January whether to recommend that Congress impose sanctions, which could include denying Japan the right to fish in U.S. waters, or even stiffer penalties. Commercial whaling has been banned for the last two decades, but Tokyo defends its hunt as scientific research allowed by the International Whaling Commission.