30 Sep 2011

Japan reportedly ready to resume Antarctic whaling

9:40 pm on 30 September 2011

Media reports in Japan say the country will go ahead with this season's whaling hunt in the Antarctic.

The ABC reports that Friday's edition of the Asahi newspaper says the annual hunt, described by Japan as research whaling, will go ahead later this year.

A panel was set up to discuss the future of whaling after disruption of the hunt over the past few seasons by the militant Sea Shepherd Conservation Society.

There were also calls for spending cuts to pay for reconstruction in the north-east of Japan, which was devastated by the tsunami in March this year.

A minority of the panel had recommended ending the programme, but the government has reportedly decided scrapping the hunt would be against Japan's national interest because it would giving in to obstruction.

Reports suggest the whaling budget may even be boosted by about $A27 million.