Korea to seek resumption of whale fishing for research purposes

The Korean government has announced its intent to allow whale fishing in Korean waters for research purposes. The country had banned the practice in 1986.

It is unclear if whale fishing can really resume in Korea, however, since environmental organizations that oppose it for both commercial and research purposes and countries such as Australia and New Zealand have raised strong objections.

Korean delegates from the Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry made this announcement Monday at the annual conference of the International Whaling Commission in Panama City, Panama. The delegates said the Korean government will submit a plan on whale hunting for scientific research at the conference in May next year to get deliberation from the commission`s scientific committee.

The whaling organization in 1986 imposed a moratorium on commercial hunting of 12 whale species such as mink under the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling.

Researchers and indigenous people looking for food can fish for whales, however, if they get permission from the scientific committee.

Even if scientific whale hunting is allowed, however, coastal whale hunting is unlikely to be permitted. Fishermen in eastern and southern coastal areas have urged coastal hunting, claiming that the 26-year-ban on whale hunting has led to a significant drop in fish stocks due to whales gobbling up fish.

ryu@donga.com