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Japan begins commercial whaling after 30 years

Commercial Whaling - Level 4

Japan restarted commercial whaling after three decades. Commercial whaling was banned in 1986 by the International Whaling Commission. Japan has promised its whalers will stay within 320 kilometers from its coast. It set a yearly quota for killing whales. This week, whalers caught two minke whales. The whale meat was sold in Tokyo for record prices. Restaurant owners bought the meat at prices of up to $140 per kilo.

Japan has done whaling for centuries. A whale chef believes commercial whaling is important. He said: "A country that does not preserve its food culture has no future." He said whale meat was healthy. It is five times lower in calories than beef and 10 times lower in cholesterol. It is also full of iron. Japan's return to whaling has angered people worldwide. The Humane Society said: "This is a sad day for whale protection globally."

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Commercial Whaling - Level 5

Japan has restarted commercial whaling after a three-decade break. Commercial whaling was banned in 1986 by the International Whaling Commission (IWC). However, Japan withdrew from the IWC in December. Japan has promised its whalers will stay within 320 kilometers from its coast. It has set a quota for killing 227 whales every six months. This week, whalers caught two minke whales. These were taken to a northern Japanese port. The whale meat was sold in Tokyo for record prices. Eager restaurant owners bought the meat at prices of up to $140 per kilo.

Japan has engaged in whaling for centuries. A whale chef summed up why he thought commercial whaling was important. He said: "A country that does not preserve its food culture has no future." He said whale meat was healthy. He said: "It is five times lower in calories than beef, 10 times lower in cholesterol, two times less fat than chicken and it's packed with iron. But abroad, people do not know this." Japan's return to whaling has brought international outcry. The Humane Society said: "This is a sad day for whale protection globally."

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Commercial Whaling - Level 6

Japan has resumed commercial whaling after a hiatus of over three decades. Commercial whaling was banned in 1986 by an International Whaling Commission (IWC) moratorium. However, Japan withdrew from the IWC in December. Japan's government has promised all whalers will stay within 320 kilometers from its coast. The Japanese fisheries agency set a quota for killing 227 whales every six months. In the first days of resumed whaling, whalers caught two minke whales, which were taken to the northern port of Kushiro. The whale meat was auctioned in Tokyo and sold for record prices. Eager restaurant owners snapped up the meat at prices of up to $140 per kilo.

Japan has engaged in the practice of whaling for centuries. Whale restaurant chef Mitsuo Tani summed up why he thought the return of commercial whaling was important. He said: "A country that does not preserve its food culture has no future." He also promoted the health benefits of whale meat. He said: "It is five times lower in calories than beef, 10 times lower in cholesterol, two times less fat than chicken and it's packed with iron. But abroad, people do not know this." However, Japan's return to whaling has brought international outcry. The Humane Society accused Japan of starting a "new and shocking era of pirate whaling". It added: "This is a sad day for whale protection globally."

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