But doubts exist about whether Japanese commercial whaling can be economically viable, especially as fewer people than ever are eating whale meat, they said. Japan, which says most whale species are not endangered and that eating whale is part of its culture, has long campaigned without success for the IWC to allow commercial whaling. “There is no change to our country’s respect for the rule of law and multilateralism.”New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters welcomed Japan’s decision to halt Antarctic whaling but said he was disappointed with the decision to resume any commercial whaling. In 2014, the International Court of Justice ruled that Japan should halt its Antarctic whaling. Japan began scientific whaling in 1987, a year after an international whaling moratorium began.

Source: bd News24 December 26, 2018 12:00 UTC