Japanese commercial whalers recently killed their first fin whale in 50 years.
The fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus), the world’s second-largest whale, after the blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus), can grow to up to 27 meters (88 feet) in length. Industrial whaling until the mid-1900s severely depleted their populations, and the species is classified as vulnerable to extinction on the IUCN Red List.
The recently hunted fin whale was a male measuring 19.6 m (64.3 ft) and weighing more than 55.8 metric tons, according to Japanese media. It was caught off Japan’s coast by the Kangei Maru, a mega whaling ship owned by Tokyo-based company Kyodo Senpaku Co.
“Australia is deeply disappointed by Japan’s decision to expand its commercial whaling program by adding fin whales,” Australia’s environment minister, Tanya Plibersek, said in a statement.
Japan resumed commercial whaling in 2019, after some 30 years of hiatus. Prior to that, the country was part of the International Whaling Commission (IWC), an intergovernmental body that governs whaling and the conservation of whales. In 1986, the IWC implemented a blanket moratorium on whale hunting. Japan protested against it, citing the country’s historical whaling tradition and whale-eating culture. However, after stiff resistance and threats of economic sanctions from the U.S., Japan withdrew its resistance.
Following the moratorium, Japan stopped “commercial whaling” on paper, but continued to hunt whales under an exception provided for scientific research, with the help of whaling company Kyodo Senpaku. Using the research loophole, Japan hunted hundreds of whales every year, including Antarctic minke whales (B. bonaerensis), common minke whales (B. acutorostrata), Bryde’s whales (B. brydei), sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) and sei whales (B. borealis).
Japan has now been hunting whales commercially along with Iceland and Norway. Last year, Japan caught nearly 300 common minke, Bryde’s and sei whales in its territorial waters and exclusive economic zone. A quota of 59 fin whales was added to Japan’s list of commercial whaling species in May 2024, a decision that drew criticism from international conservation organizations, governments as well as Japanese citizen groups. Additionally, Kyodo Senpaku launched its largest-ever whaling ship, the Kangei Maru, earlier this year, prompting concerns that Japan might have plans to hunt whales outside its maritime territory.
Japan’s latest whale kill comes days after Paul Watson, founder of U.S.-based marine conservation activism group Sea Shepherd, was arrested in Greenland for his anti-whaling protests against Japanese vessels.
“It is very disappointing to see fin whales now being added to the list of whales being killed by the Japanese whaling fleet. It sets us back 50 years,” Alex Cornelissen, the global CEO of Sea Shepherd, said in a statement on X. “With whale populations already under increased pressure from climate change and dwindling krill numbers, we need more protective measures to safeguard the great whales.”
Banner image of fin whale by chris buelow via Flickr (CC BY-NC 2.0).
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