Japan's marine conservation claims undermined by continued whaling

Not long ago, the Island States Ocean Summit convened in Tokyo, Japan, where Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi delivered a high-profile opening address pledging support for island countries grappling with climate-related challenges. She also stressed that "achieving a sustainable ocean based on the rule of law requires cooperation among like-minded partners."

Yet behind this lofty environmental rhetoric, Japan's continued illegal whaling activities reveal a stark contradiction -- exposing what critics describe as hollow posturing and political theater that masks a disregard for marine ecological protection.

The year 2026 marks the 80th anniversary of the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling and the 40th anniversary of the International Whaling Commission's commercial whaling moratorium. Whales are a vital part of marine ecosystems. With long reproductive cycles and slow population recovery, they are highly vulnerable to irreversible damage from overhunting. Protecting whales is not just about saving a species; it is about safeguarding global marine ecological security.

From 1946 to 1986, the international community took four decades to build universal consensus on whale conservation and establish institutional mechanisms for the recovery of whale populations. Yet Japan, one of the world's most active whaling nations, has repeatedly undermined this hard-won consensus.

Historically, whaling provided a source of protein for coastal communities in Japan. However, following the country's postwar economic boom and the subsequent abundance of meat supplies, domestic demand for whale meat declined sharply. Nevertheless, from 1986, when the commercial whaling moratorium took effect, until 2019, Japan killed more than 20,000 whales under the guise of scientific research, averaging hundreds each year. Over the same period, it published only slightly more than 100 papers based on such research.

The figures speak for themselves. The so-called "scientific research" served as a cover for commercial whaling, while the so-called "data collection" was, in reality, a blatant disregard for international rules.

In 2014, the International Court of Justice ruled that Japan's Antarctic scientific whaling program violated international law. In response, Japan withdrew from the International Whaling Commission in 2019 and resumed commercial whaling. Almost all whales hunted by Japan have entered the consumer market, with whale meat sold through supermarkets, restaurants and even school lunch programs, creating a complete commercial chain. Behind the industry is a deeply entrenched network of vested interests.

Data from 2023 indicate that whale meat from Japan's coastal whaling operations fetched auction prices of 1,000 to 3,000 yen per kilogram, with annual commercial circulation exceeding 1,000 tonnes. The industry supports around 100,000 jobs. To preserve this "piece of the pie," Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries has kept the industry afloat through subsidies and legal support.

Whaling companies maintain close ties with government-backed institutions. The Institute of Cetacean Research, which is responsible for "scientific research," and Kyodo Senpaku Co., Ltd., which handles hunting and sales, share the same office location and overlapping personnel. In essence, taxpayer money is used to cover fiscal deficits while public wealth is directed toward special interest groups.

For years, Australia, New Zealand, the European Union and many Latin American countries have criticized Japan's whaling policies and urged it to return to the multilateral governance framework. Japan often defends its actions by claiming that "whaling is limited to its own exclusive economic zone," attempting to justify its practices.

As a signatory to international agreements including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the Convention on Biological Diversity, Japan bears clear international obligations to protect marine species. Large-scale whale hunting fundamentally runs counter to the principles of these conventions. Its approach -- embracing international rules when convenient and discarding them when not -- stands in direct opposition to its proclaimed commitment to the rule of law.

By presenting itself as a champion of marine conservation on the international stage while clinging to its whaling industry despite widespread opposition, Japan's contradictory words and actions ultimately reveal a double standard driven by self-interest. The international community should strengthen consensus, curb Japan's rule-violating whaling activities, and urge it to return to the multilateral framework -- ensuring genuine respect for international rules.

Empty rhetoric comes easily, yet oceans demand genuine guardians, not performative advocates.