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Japan's whaling fleet has returned to base with the carcasses of 333 minke whales, in apparent violation of a ruling by the 

 by Japan's Fisheries Agency that said 103 male and 230 female whales were caught during the fleet's summer expedition to Antarctic waters. Ninety percent of the mature females were pregnant.


"The number of pregnant females is consistent with previous hunts, indicating that the breeding situation of minke whales in the Antarctic is healthy," Reuters quoted the agency as saying.

 reports that the Japanese government's Institute of Cetacean Research said the ICR ship Nisshin Maru spent 115 days at sea, 65 of those surveying and slaughtering whales for biopsy sampling and conducting nonlethal satellite beacon experiments and marine water surveys.
Japan has said it conducts this "scientific whaling" strictly for research; however, the meat is sold commercially and government agencies say the ultimate goal is 

 in 1986, although killing whales for scientific research was allowed to continue. However as 

 in 2014, the ICJ ordered a halt to all Japanese whaling:


Japan denies that the latest hunt violated the court's decision because it was conducted under a new research plan that has yet to be ruled on by the ICJ.


News of the hunt sparked outrage among conservation groups and a political row in Australia, where 

environmental activist group Sea Shepherd

 accused the Australian government of doing nothing to protect the whales, some of which it said were killed illegally in the Australian Whale Sanctuary.
Australia's environment minister, Greg Hunt, 

Environmental News

Kevin Beesley

Author

Japan's whaling fleet has returned to base with the carcasses of 333 minke whales, in apparent violation of a ruling by the International Court of Justice.

Japanese fleet kills 333 whales in the Antarctic

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