Fresh Fin Whale Meat Auctioned For The First Time In Decades In Japan

Meat from fin whales, caught for the first time in nearly 50 years off Japan’s northern coast, fetched prices exceeding $1,300 per kilogram (2.2 lbs) at auction as officials work to sustain the struggling whaling industry, Associated Press reporter Mari Yamaguchi reported.

This season, 30 fin whales were caught, half of the quota of 60.

Japan’s Fisheries Agency recently added fin whales to its list of legally huntable species as the country expands commercial whaling along its coast.

Japan resumed commercial whaling within its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in 2019 after withdrawing from the International Whaling Commission (IWC), which designated fin whales as protected in 1976 due to overhunting.

Japanese authorities cited stock surveys indicating sufficient recovery of fin whale populations in the North Pacific. This season, 30 fin whales were caught, half of the quota of 60.

The country also set a combined catch limit of 379 for three other species: minke, Bryde’s, and sei whales.

Kyodo Senpaku Co., Japan’s only large-scale whaling fleet operator, launched a new 7.5-billion-yen ($49 million) vessel, the Kangei Maru, this year. The 9,300-ton ship symbolizes the company’s determination to keep the whaling industry alive despite global criticism and declining domestic demand for whale meat.