The Japanese plan was rejected in no uncertain terms by an anti-whaling bloc that includes the US, UK and Australia.
Australian environment minister Malcolm Turnbull said: “We are opposed to commercial whaling and the Japanese coastal whaling proposal is one that is in effect a resumption …of commercial whaling.”
The proposed humpback hunt has been a major issue in anti-whaling countries, notably Australia and New Zealand, which both run healthy whale-watching industries.
See full story