Whale Fin Meat Sold for First Time in Almost 50 Years
For the first time in nearly 50 years, whale fin meat was sold in Japan, with the rare product fetching a hefty price of over $1,300 per kilogram (2.2 lbs) at an auction on Thursday. Fin whales are one of only three species of whales that are permitted to be hunted and sold for human consumption in Japan. The country’s commercial whaling industry resumed in 2019, after withdrawing from the International Whaling Commission, which was established in 1976 to regulate the fishing industry and prevent overhunting.
This recent sale comes after Japan has caught half of its quota for the current season. While whaling remains a controversial industry, anti-whaling protests in Japan have subsided since the country switched from Antarctic to coastal whaling.