Post by : Shakul

Japan marked the start of its commercial whaling season by landing the first minke whale catches of the year off Hokkaido. Two female whales were brought to Nemuro port on Wednesday, measuring approximately 8.2 meters and 7.7 meters in length, according to the Japan Small-Type Whaling Association.

The whales were caught in waters off Hokkaido, while another minke whale was captured earlier off Aomori Prefecture, where the season had already begun in March. The catch will be processed in Kushiro before being distributed to markets across the country.

Industry officials described the first catch as a positive start to the season. Kinya Higashi of the Taiji Fisheries Cooperative Association noted that the relatively large size of the whales signals favorable early conditions for the industry.

Japan resumed commercial whaling in 2019 after withdrawing from the International Whaling Commission. For 2026, the Fisheries Agency has set a national quota of 145 whales, including 33 allocated to waters near Nemuro and the Sea of Okhotsk. Last year, the total catch reached 88 whales against a quota of 144.

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