Commercial whaling resumes in northeastern Japan after 32-yr hiatus

Three Japanese ships set sail early Tuesday morning for the first commercial whaling expedition in 32 years off the country's northeastern Sanriku Coast.Japan resumed hunting whales for commercial purposes last July 1, a day after formally leaving the International Whaling Commission, and whaling took place last year in waters off the northernmost main island of Hokkaido and other regions. But there were no voyages in Sanriku waters, as minke whales had already left the area and reached the waters around Hokkaido.The fleet left port in Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture, to track minke whales in…READ FULL ARTICLE