REFILE-Japan imports whale meat 1st time in 17-yrs-Kyodo
29 Nov 2008 04:20:06 GMT Source: Reuters
(Refiles to fix dateline) TOKYO, Nov 29 (Reuters) - Japan has recently purchased whale meat from Iceland, marking the first such imports in 17 years, Kyodo News reported, a move that will likely irk environmental groups and anti-whaling countries such as Australia. The Japanese government approved the purchases in September and some of the meat has been put on the market since clearing customs, Kyodo said, citing the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI). Japan has faced strong criticism from the United States, Australia and other countries, as well as environmental organisations, which call whaling cruel and unnecessary. A global moratorium, overseen by the International Whaling Commission (IWC), has banned commercial whaling since 1986 after many species were driven towards extinction. But Japan has continued with what it calls a scientific whaling programme, mostly involving minke whales, which it says is not aimed at exploiting whales for their meat, although the flesh is mostly sold for consumption. [ID:nT277426] Japan, which hopes to resume commercial whaling, is thought to have made the purchases from Iceland in part to support the whaling industry at home and overseas, the Kyodo report said. METI declined to comment on what kind of whales the meat is from or the amount purchased, the news agency said. No-one from the ministry was available for comment on Saturday. (Reporting by Chris Gallagher; Editing by Alex Richardson)
