Japan's whale hunting season begins

A whaling fleet of three Japanese ships departed from the country's port of Shimonoseki earlier this month. They're heading toward Antarctic waters for the annual whale hunt. Japan is planning to kill almost 1,000 whales during the southern hemisphere summer. Japan maintains its whale hunts are for scientific purposes, but much of the meat ends up in restaurants and markets.

The two whaling ships and a surveillance vessel that left port on December 7 were set to join the factory ship, Nisshin Maru, pictured. Together they aim to hunt up to 935 Antarctic minke whales and up to 50 fin whales before the season ends in March.

Their whaling fleet's departure date was kept secret, Japan's Kyodo News reported, due to concern from the Japanese Fisheries Agency that anti-whaling groups like Sea Shepherd, which are known for daring maritime protests, would attempt to disrupt their departure.

Last whaling season, Japan's whale catch fell to a record low of 103 minke whales. While stormy weather played a part, high-seas intervention by Sea Shepherd activists determined to disrupt the whaling also played a big role. Methods used by the activists include throwing stink bombs at the whalers. The whaling ships use jets of water to keep the protestors away.

For the past few years, environmental groups like Greenpeace and Sea Shepherd have been actively pursuing Japan's whaling fleet in the frigid waters of the Southern Ocean. Their protests have drawn international attention to the issue and condemnation from whalers, who say they are putting people’s lives in danger.

Commercial hunting for the giant sea mammals has been banned since 1986. But the rules allow whaling for scientific and research purposes. This is how Japan is able to continue catching hundreds of whales each season, to the outrage of activists and other nations who want to see hunting stopped. Though whale numbers have stabilized since the ban, several species remain in danger.

Eating whale meat has been part of Japanese life for hundreds of years. After World War II, when other meat was expensive, whale became a big part of Japan's diet. However, whale now accounts for only a tiny portion of the meat sold in Japan, and there is a strong movement in the country opposed to whaling.

While some activists like the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society's Paul Watson have faced courts for protests, nations have also taken eachother to court. Australia has taken Japan to the United Nations’ International Court of Justice, saying Japan is exploiting the international commercial whaling law loophole. Australia is hoping the court will ban Japan’s hunting in time for this whaling season.