TOKYO, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- Japan on Monday resumed hunting of minke whales in coastal areas off northern Japan's Hokkaido, and are expected to reach their catch quota later this month.
Japan resumed commercial whaling in July amid criticism from anti-whaling states and environmental groups after the country withdrew from the International Whaling Commission (IWC), a controversial move that has sparked international criticism and skepticism of its intention.
Since restarting commercial whaling for the first time in 31 years, the Japanese government has set a quota of 53 minke whales through late December to prevent overhunting, with 33 of them allocated for coastal whaling.
The Japan Small-Type Whaling Association estimates this year's hunting of minke whales in Japanese coastal areas could wrap up at the end of September.
Early Monday, five small-sized whaling vessels operated by six companies departed Kushiro port in Hokkaido. "We'd like to catch many whales and have consumers eat fresh meat," said Takashi Takeuchi, 41-year-old captain of a whaling vessel from Taiji, Wakayama Prefecture.
"September is the best season when whales with plenty of fat are caught. I'm looking forward to the hunt," said Yoshifumi Kai, head of the whaling association.
Japan has lobbied for the resumption of commercial whaling for 30 years. Last September, the IWC annual meeting rejected Japan's latest proposal to resume commercial whaling. The Japanese government had threatened to withdraw from the international organization.
Japan announced its intention to withdraw last December, saying it was no longer possible to resume commercial whaling under IWC rules. In the resumed commercial whaling, Japan says it will conduct commercial whaling only in its territorial waters and exclusive economic zones, hunting minke and other species that have large enough numbers, within quotas set by the IWC-adopted method.
