Both species were hunted heavily in the past and little is known about their current numbers. Japan will also continue its annual catch of 540 minke whales. All three are protected species. But Japan had built a new whaling vessel, and would not be stopped. Its whaling fleet launched on July 29.
Japan excuses the slaughter as scientific research.
In fact, the two new larger species will provide more meat and bigger profits for an illegal whale food market. Japan argues that it needs to kill the whales to study their population structure to estimate quotas from each population and stomach contents. But IWC scientists state this research is not necessary because the Southern Ocean where the Japanes kill most whales are a whales sanctuary, and that even if it was, it could be done without killing whales. Japan also says that whales are destroying valuable fish stocks. Again, this is untrue.