MPs in Japan have demanded the government re-design its scientific whaling programme to circumvent an International Court of Justice ruling that described the programme as an unlawful commercial hunt.
Japanese whaling ship Yushin Maru No. 3 back in port in Yamaguchi. Photo: AFP
The fisheries committee, which comprises a cross-section of 40 members of the lower house of parliament, unanimously passed the resolution on Wednesday.
The committee urged the administration to study "all sorts of options", including walking away from the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling.
It said the ruling earlier this month by the International Court of Justice does not necessarily prevent Japan's whaling, which is a unique tradition and culture".
Although it is a signatory to the International Whaling Convention, which bans commercial hunting, Japan has used a loophole that allows for "lethal research".
Australia took Japan to the ICJ in The Hague over the programme. Judges there ruled 12-4 in Canberra's favour and Tokyo said it was calling the 2014-15 hunt off.
Japan on Monday insisted it had made no decision on whether to resume its Antarctic whaling.
Tokyo is also studying whether it should go ahead with another research whaling programme in the northwestern Pacific, which is not affected by the court ruling,