New Zealand Voices Strong Protest over Japan’s Antarctic Whaling

New Zealand has led an “international protest on Monday against Japan’s plans to resume its research hunt for whales in the Southern Ocean, while Australia said it is considering further legal action”, as reported in an article on The Japan Times.

“We consider that there is no scientific basis for the slaughter of whales and strongly urge the government of Japan not to allow it to go ahead,” said John Key, New Zealand Prime Minister in a statement.

Japan’s whaling fleet set sail for the Antarctic last week to catch 333 minke whales for scientific research. The Japanese government is trying to prove that the whale population is large enough to sustain a return to commercial hunting for research purposes.

“However it makes no secret that the meat ends up on the dinner table or served in school lunches.”

Mexico, South Africa and EU member countries have joined the protest alongside Australia and New Zealand to end the practice of whaling.

Article Source: Japan Times, December 7, 2015

Image Source: Wikipedia