Japan Ordered To Stop Its Whaling Program
Harpooned whale A whale being hauled into a Japanese vessel. NTDTV / YouTube The UN's International Court of Justice ruled today that Japan's hunting of whales in the Southern Ocean was not for scientific purposes, as the country has claimed, and that it must be ceased. Japan said it would comply with the ruling, although the country "regrets and is deeply disappointed by the decision," the BBC reported. The ruling was decided in a 12 to 4 vote. Japan had cited two studies to come from its whaling activities, which the court found to be insufficient proof of a real scientific program. Since the current program began in 2005, Japan had caught about 3,600 minke whales, and a handful of fin whales, which are endangered. Japan still hunts a smaller number of whales in the...