Whaling in Japan will continue. According to Yoshimasa Hayashi, the Japanese Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries will not give up whaling.
The head of the ministry designated criticism of Japan from Western countries and representatives of environmental organizations as attacks on the culture of the island state. The recent clash between whalers from Japan and activists of an international organization that stood up for the protection of whales provoked just such a statement by the Japanese authorities. The skirmish came when environmentalists attempted to prevent a Japanese whaling vessel from refueling from a tanker.
The Marine Life Conservation Society, in particular the head of its Australian chapter, says Japan is completely ignoring the decision made by the Australian Federal Court. Illegal whaling is prohibited in the Whale Sanctuary in Antarctica. But it is problematic that the Australian government did not back up the Federal Court decision with operations that could be carried out by the police, so illegal fishing continues. The struggle of «Society …» with Japanese whalers has been going on for several years.
Environmental activists believe that the Japanese authorities have adopted a program aimed at scientific research to circumvent the existing ban. Thus, they continue to catch whales, but not for scientific, but for commercial purposes. Tokyo believes that whale hunting is an ancient Japanese tradition, and it is very important for ensuring the food security of the island nation.
