Japan and many other countries such as Norway and Iceland have been hunting many species of whales from 1904 to 2016. To this date whaling still occurs and the whale population is suffering and is on the brink of extinction. Minke whales are the only whales to be legally hunted but Japan and other countries still hunt other species like the magnificent blue whales, with a current population of approximately 10,000.
Over 360,000 whales have been hunted within the 20th century for many reasons such as 'research', whale meat and blubber. This needs to END. The Japanese tradition of consuming whale meat, collecting their by-products and harpooning them for so-called 'research' kills over 2000 whales per year. Many countries believe that this 'research' is merely a disguise for Japan to exploit and continue commercial whaling.
We need to act NOW or our gentle giants will never see the light of day again.
