Japan has added the fin whale, a marine mammal that was previously classified as endangered, to its list of commercially hunted species, raising concerns among conservationists.
The fin whale can reach lengths of up to 27m. (Photo: IFAW).
On May 9, the Japanese government announced that the fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) would be targeted by whaling ships within the country’s exclusive economic zone, according to the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA). With the addition of the fin whale, the total number of commercially hunted whale species in Japan has risen to four, alongside the minke whale, Bryde’s whale, and sei whale.
The latest decision is particularly surprising due to the size and rarity of this species. Measuring up to 25 meters in length, the fin whale is the second largest animal on Earth, only surpassed by the blue whale. They can live up to 90 years and inhabit oceans worldwide.
The fin whale was listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) prior to 2018, after which its status was changed to “vulnerable.” The fin whale population has approximately doubled since the 1970s, primarily due to a ban on commercial whaling. However, Japan is now beginning to reverse this trend.
“This is a concerning setback and the latest effort by the Japanese government to promote demand for whale meat, which has nearly disappeared,” said Clare Perry, an ocean advisor at EIA. “Fin whales are among the largest carbon collectors in the world and need to be fully protected, at least so they can continue to fulfill their essential role in the marine environment.”
Japan resumed commercial whaling in June 2019 after controversially withdrawing from the International Whaling Commission (IWC), the intergovernmental body that governs the whaling industry. The IWC has prohibited commercial whaling since 1982, although it still allows countries to kill whales for special purposes like scientific research.
More than 80 countries signed the agreement, which came into effect in 1986. However, some countries, including Norway, Denmark, Greenland, Russia, Iceland, and Japan, continue to ignore the ban and hunt whales under the guise of scientific research. “Now, Japan is again proposing to hunt the second largest animal on the planet, despite the ban on commercial whaling,” Perry stated.
