SALON

Thursday, Jul 5, 2012 1:43 PM UTC

South Korea to begin ‘scientific whaling,’ following Japan

South Korea will begin "scientific whaling," killing minke whales, in move likely to outrage Australia

By

Topics: GlobalPost,

South Korea to begin 'scientific whaling,' following JapanFILE - In this Oct. 25, 2011 photo provided by the Santa Cruz Conference and Visitors Council, kayaker Alan Brady is surprised by two breaching humpback whales while kayaking off the coast of Seabright State Beach in Santa Cruz, Calif. The U.S. Coast Guard is warning people to stay away from a pod of whales that has settled unusually close to the shore off Santa Cruz or face fines for whale harassment of at least $2,500. The agency plans to monitor the waters on Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2011. (AP Photo/Santa Cruz Conference and Visitors Council , Paul Schraub, file) (Credit: AP)
This article originally appeared on GlobalPost.

South Korea is to follow Japan and begin “scientific whaling,” killing minke whales, according to reports.

Global Post

Earlier, the International Whaling Commission (IWC) narrowly agreed to extend whaling rights for indigenous populations in the US, Russia and the Caribbean during its annual meeting taking place in Panama.

Agence France-Presse, meantime, reported that South Korean delegates confirmed the plan Wednesday and would submit future whaling plans to a scientific committee of the global body.

Seoul was not looking for approval by other nations.

The BBC reported that the whaling would take place near the Korean coast, and would target minke whales.

It said it was not clear how many whales would be killed.

Japan conducts says its whaling program is technically abiding by a 1986 moratorium on commercial whaling as its activities are for research.

The BBC quoted South Korea’s delegation head, Joon-Suk Kang, as saying the program was needed “for the proper assessment of whale stocks,” and to answer questions that non-lethal research had been unable to solve.

The head of the New Zealand delegation said the plan “bordered on the reckless.”

Japan each year kills hundreds of whales in Antarctic waters that are considered a sanctuary by Australia and New Zealand, who conduct whale-watching tours, AFP wrote.

The Japanese whalers are often shadowed by the militant US-based Sea Shepherd Conservation Society.

South Korea is to follow Japan and begin “scientific whaling,” killing minke whales, according to reports.

Earlier, the International Whaling Commission (IWC) narrowly agreed to extend whaling rights for indigenous populations in the US, Russia and the Caribbean during its annual meeting taking place in Panama.

Agence France-Presse, meantime, reported that South Korean delegates confirmed the plan Wednesday and would submit future whaling plans to a scientific committee of the global body.

Seoul was not looking for approval by other nations.

The BBC reported that the whaling would take place near the Korean coast, and would target minke whales.

It said it was not clear how many whales would be killed.

Japan conducts says its whaling program is technically abiding by a 1986 moratorium on commercial whaling as its activities are for research.

The BBC quoted South Korea’s delegation head, Joon-Suk Kang, as saying the program was needed “for the proper assessment of whale stocks,” and to answer questions that non-lethal research had been unable to solve.

The head of the New Zealand delegation said the plan “bordered on the reckless.”

Japan each year kills hundreds of whales in Antarctic waters that are considered a sanctuary by Australia and New Zealand, who conduct whale-watching tours, AFP wrote.

The Japanese whalers are often shadowed by the militant US-based Sea Shepherd Conservation Society.

More GlobalPost

More News Desk.

Next Article

Related Stories

More Related Stories

Featured Slide Shows

The week in 10 pics

close X
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on Facebook
  • Thumbnails
  • Fullscreen
  • 1 of 11
  • A missing poster hangs on a tree outside the Cleveland home of Amanda Berry Wednesday. Berry and two other women, Michelle Knight and Gina DeJesus, made a daring escape this week after being held captive for more than a decade.
    Credit: AP/Tony Dejak

  • Elvis Rafael Rodriguez and Emir Yasser Yeje offer their best impression of  Eric B. & Rakim. On Thursday, New York prosecutors identified the pair as members of an international gang that robbed $45 million in a matter of hours by hacking into a database of prepaid debit cards and draining ATM machines around the world.
    Credit: AP

  • New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie walks to a podium during the groundbreaking ceremony for the Technology Enhanced Accelerated Learning Center at Essex County Newark Tech in Newark, N.J., Tuesday. Christie made less flattering headlines this week after undergoing a secret stomach surgery to curb his weight.
    Credit: AP/Julio Cortez

  • Workers stand outside the Tung Hai Sweater Ltd. factory in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Thursday after a fire broke out in its 11-story building. Eight people were killed in the blaze.
    Credit: AP/Ismail Ferdous

  • Workers rescue a woman trapped for 17 days in the rubble of a garment factory building in Saver, Bangladesh, Friday. The building's collapse was the worst industrial disaster in the country's history, killing more than 1,000 people.
    Credit: AP

  • Former South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford gives his victory speech Tuesday in Mt. Pleasant, S.C., after winning back his old congressional seat in the state's first district.
    Credit: AP/Rainier Ehrhardt

  • Jodi Arias reacts in Maricopa Country Superior Court Wednesday after being found guilty of first-degree murder in the gruesome killing of her one-time boyfriend, Travis Alexander. Arias has subsequently said she wants the death penalty, claiming she'd "prefer to die sooner than later."
    Credit: AP/The Arizona Republic/Rob Schumacher

  • Ariel Castro stands for his mug shot Thursday at the Cuyahoga County Corrections Center, where he is being held on $8 million bail. The former bus driver is accused of imprisoning three young women and beating them repeatedly over a period of 10 years.
    Credit: AP/Cuyahoga County

  • Charles Ramsey addresses the media Monday after helping rescue three women held captive in Cleveland for more than a decade. Ramsey's hero portraiture has been complicated by revelations of his own domestic violence record.
    Credit: AP/The Plain Dealer/Scott Shaw

  • Michael B. Donley, Secretary of the Air Force, testifies during a Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee hearing on Capitol Hill Wednesday. The military branch was rocked this week after its chief sexual assault prevention officer was charged with sexual battery.
    Credit: AP/Carolyn Kaster

  • Recent Slide Shows

  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on Facebook
  • Thumbnails
  • Fullscreen
  • 1 of 11

Related Videos

Comments

 3 Comments

Comment Preview

Your name will appear as username

You may use these HTML tags and attributes: <a href=""> <b> <em> <strong> <i> <blockquote>

Salon is proud to feature content from GlobalPost, an awarding-winning international news site that focuses on original reporting from journalists stationed around the world. GlobalPost combines traditional journalistic values with the power of new media to offer a fresh perspective on global developments.

follow salon

Most Read

Popular on Reddit

links from salon.com

From Around the Web

Presented by Scribol
listener_new_rect The Listener: So long, Sookie Stackhouse

Recommendations