Tokyo says that the two species are plentiful enough and that they are eating too many fish. Japan's whale catch had been previously limited to the minke whale. The IWC banned commercial whaling in the mid-1980s but allows whaling countries to kill whales for research to gather information on migration, eating patterns and pollution levels. Anti-whaling countries and activists say Japan is catching whales in the name of scientific research to satisfy a demand for whale meat, considered a delicacy here. The whale meat from the latest mission is expected to hit the market as well.
Japanese officials say there is no way to conduct research without killing whales.
The latest mission returned with 43 Bryde's whales and five sperms, as well as 40 minkes after ending its two-month program Saturday, said Takaaki Sakamoto, a Fishery Agency official in charge of whaling. 50 Bryde's and 10 sperm whales in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, Sakamoto said. As a measure to punish Japan for its expanded whale hunt, the United States last week decided to deny Japan some fishing rights in US waters. US President Bill Clinton also directed his Cabinet to investigate Japan's whale hunt program and draft a list of ways to respond, including trade sanctions. The Japanese government said it will retaliate if the United States imposes sanctions, possibly by lodging a complaint with the World Trade Organisation.