Japan has confirm it has killed its first fin hulk in over a decade . A male 5 whale , measuring 19.6 meters ( 64 feet ) long and weighing 55 tonnes , was recently caught off the slide of Iwate Prefecture by the whale troupe Kyodo Senpaku , according to OceanCare .
Thecatchcomes after a controversial decision in May 2024 when fin whales wereadded to the list of speciesthat can be watch in Japan ’s exclusive economic zone . The country ’s Ministry of Agriculture , Forestry , and Fisheries foretell that they would allow the hunting of 59 fin whales , along with its exist quota for minke heavyweight , Bryde ’s whales , and sei whales .
Just in time for the announcement , Kyodo Senpaku reveal their newfangled whaling manufacturing plant ship , theKangei Maru , a 112.6 - metre ( 369 - foot ) long vessel with an onboard butchering hub .
Fin whales are the second - expectant creature on Earth in terms of length , 2d only tothe blue whale , and are believe vulnerable to extinguishing by the International Union for Conservation of Nature .
Japan argues that the coinage ’ population figure in the North Pacific have bounced back to the extent that whaling can be considered sustainable . However , many experts take issue and have to a great extent criticized the decision to lead off the killing of fin whales , citing preservation and ethical business organization .
“ The quintet heavyweight is the second large animal on earthly concern . Putting it in the gunsight in 2024 is a self-aggrandising error for Japan , for whale , and for the external community working to protect them . We call on Japan straightaway to disengage this unjustifiable decision , ” Catherine Bell , Director of International Policy at the International Fund for Animal Welfare , said in a statement place to IFLScience .
“ There is no humanist way to kill a whale at ocean and we have profound concerns about the welfare implications of this propose Leigh Hunt . Japanese whaler have not kill fin giant since 2011 and current harpoon operators may have no experience in killing a species that is importantly big - longer and sound - than the largest species they currently hunt . harpoon are usually not effective at killing giant on impact , pass to a slow and painful dying , ” sum up Bell .
Japanresumed commercial message whalingin June 2019 after its controversial climb-down from the International Whaling Commission ( IWC ) , the intergovernmental gore that regularise the whaling industry .
Their relationship with whaling has long been out of step with the international community , which wide condemns the practice – withsome notable exceptions .
The Australian regime has been especially vocal in their opposition , sayingit was “ deeply frustrated ” by the recent word from Japan , tally , “ Australia is opposed to all commercial whaling and urges all body politic to end this praxis . ”
