16 Feb 2011

Japan halts whale hunt after chase by Sea Shepherd

Japan has suspended its annual Antarctic whale hunt following protests from a campaign group. Activists from the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society have been chasing the Japanese fleet's mother ship. An official at the country's fisheries agency said whaling had been halted "for now" because of safety concerns.

japan out

Commercial whaling was banned in 1986 but Japan uses a regulation permitting hunting for scientific research. Iceland and Norway have lodged official objections to the ban and continue to hunt commercially. BBC News

Sea Shepherd - Japanese Whalers Escorted out of the Whaling Grounds