Japan whaling fleet set to leave for Atlantic

Japan’s whaling fleet is preparing to leave for the Antarctic for a three-month hunt, despite protests from opponents who say Tokyo has not proved that whales need to be killed for research.

The announcement comes days after Japan submitted its final plan to the International Whaling Commission (IWC) after its scientific committee said earlier this year it was not convinced that whales needed to be killed for research on whale stock management and conservation.