Japan has said it aims to resume whale hunts in the Antarctic later this year, even though the International Whaling Commission (IWC) says Tokyo has not proven that the mammals need to be killed for research.

The International Court of Justice has ruled that Japan’s Antarctic whaling programme is not for scientific purposes and has ordered a temporary halt.

South Korea plans to resume hunting whales for research purposes, officials said today, drawing immediate protests from non-whaling nations and environment groups.

A government official says Japan has temporarily suspended its Antarctic whaling operations after repeated disruptions by a conservation group.

Australia said today that it will take Japan to the International Court of Justice to argue that its “so-called scientific whaling” in the Antarctic violates international obligations.

Australia has called for a gradual phasing out of whaling around the world in a proposal submitted to the International Whaling Commission.

One of Japan's coastal whaling towns butchered its first catch of the season in front of watching children today.

An animal rights group today won the right to sue a Japanese whaling company for allegedly killing hundreds of whales inside an Australian reserve.

The International Whaling Commission today voted to uphold an almost two-decade-old ban on commercial whaling, dealing a setback to Japan and its allies who favour a resumption.

Countries that oppose the two-decade moratorium on commercial whale hunts fought for the upper hand at an annual whaling meeting in Ulsan, South Korea, pushing a proposal to back limited commercial hunts.