Japanese whaling: Cultural or cruel?

Speed readWhat's happening: Japanese ships resumed hunting whales in waters off the nation's coast Monday, ending a 31-year ban on commercial whaling. The country's whalers expect to kill hundreds of whales before the end of the year. Japan is resuming the practice after leaving the International Whaling Commission, an organization aimed at conserving global whale populations.

In recent years, Japanese ships had been hunting whales in protected waters near Antarctica. Japan officially considered those kills part of scientific research, although the meat from the animals was later sold for food. These hunts are expected to stop now that whaling in Japanese waters has restarted.

Why there's debate: Critics of whaling say it's an outdated, cruel practice that is no longer acceptable amid the increasing threat sea creatures face from pollution, climate change and overfishing. They also say there is little market for the meat in modern Japan, and the government is wasting millions in subsidies to prop up a dying industry.

Defenders say whaling is an important part of Japan's culture with a long history that people from other nations don't fully understand. There are also some conservationists who believe the move could actually be good for whales. They believe local hunts will be more controlled and less likely to lead to overfishing than the hunts in the Antarctic.

What's next: Two minke whales were caught on the first day of hunting. The meat sold at "celebration prices" that were several times the typical rate. Whether that enthusiasm will last remains to be seen. Some experts believe the move to open hunts in Japanese waters may be a step toward the end of whaling in the country, since the industry may prove not to be economically viable."This could be good news for minkes.

Cultural

cruel.

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