Japan plans to resume its slaughter of minke whales in the Antarctic Ocean next year, despite an order from the United Nation's top court to stop all whaling in the area.
Japan plans to resume whaling in the Antarctic Ocean next year. Photo: AFP
Tokyo was forced to abandon its 2013-14 hunt in March when the International Court of Justice said the annual expedition was a commercial activity masquerading as research.
But a new policy announced by Japan's Fisheries Agency hopes to bypass this ruling with with a more scientific focus, AFP reported.
An agency official said whaling vessels will collect "data necessary to calculate the number of whale catch allowed" and "construct a model of the Antarctic Ocean ecosystem".
He said the agency is thinking it will only target Antarctic minke whales in the new plan.