日本将不顾国际禁令继续捕鲸

日本将不顾国际禁令继续捕鲸

日本表示今年将继续一年一度在西北太平洋的捕鲸活动，尽管上月国际法庭已否决了这一活动。

Japan says it would go ahead with its annual Northwest Pacific whaling campaign this year, despite an international court ruling against the program last month. But it will be doing it in a sharply scaled down form.

The Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries said it would submit a new plan for Antarctic whaling to the International Whaling Commission in 2015, for the purpose of resuming whaling in that area later in the year, and it would also consider measures against anti-whaling activists. No details were given about when the fleet would depart.

It was originally set to leave on April 22, the day before US president Barack Obama arrives in Japan for a state visit. But media reports said its departure would be delayed until April 26, the day after Obama leaves. Tokyo’s decades-old and disputed "scientific whaling" program suffered a blow last month when the International Court of Justice, in a surprise ruling, ordered a halt to its annual hunts in the Southern Ocean.

Supporters of Japan's whaling eat whale meat dishes during the 26th whale meat tasting event in Tokyo Tuesday, April 15, 2014. Hundreds of Japanese pro-whaling officials, lawmakers and lobby groups vowed to protect whale hunts despite the world court ruling that ordered the country’s Antarctic research culls must be stopped. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)