Starting in July, Japan will go back to permitting whale hunting for commercial purposes (when the meat is sold as food). At the end of December, the country announced that it will leave the International Whaling Commission, an organisation that has banned whaling for 33 years (since 1986) to protect them.

According to the Japanese government’s spokesperson, Yoshihide Suga, commercial whaling will only take place in Japan’s seas. Japan has also committed to stopping the killing of whales in the Atlantic Ocean and in the southern hemisphere. Until now, Japanese law only allowed whale hunting for scientific research, although many environmentalists say that this was an excuse to slaughter the animals and sell their meat for consumption.

International Repercussion
The decision to resume commercial whaling was criticised by environmental conservation groups throughout the world. GreenPeace, for example, stated that many whale species still run the risk of extinction and that the oceans continue to be harmed by pollution and uncontrolled fishing. “It is essential that Japan work to improve the health of the oceans,” stated the organisation.

On the other hand, the Japanese government said that the population of certain species of whales had started growing again in the last few years, and that the sustainable hunting of these animals would therefore not be a conservation problem. Also, authorities stated that eating whale meat is a habit that is part of Japanese culture.

Sources: BBC, G1, GreenPeace, and The Guardian.

QUESTIONS

1)Which of the options below is not correct according to the text?
a) The government of Japan affirmed that some whale species are no longer in danger of extinction.
b) The goal of the International Whaling Commission is to safeguard whales.
c) Japan will go back to hunting whales in all oceans.
d) The consumption of whale meat is part of Japanese culture.

2) What do you think about the Japanese government’s decision to return to commercial whaling?

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