Japan Launches New 9,300-Ton Whaling Fleet Mother Ship
Japan’s Tokyo-based seafood company, Kyodo Senpaku, has launched the world’s only whaling fleet mother ship, the Kangei Maru. The vessel is set for an eight-month maiden voyage off the north-east coast of Japan, with a catch limit of 379 whales within Japan’s EEZ.
The launch of Kangei Maru coincides with Kyodo Senpaku’s campaign to boost whale consumption in Japan, aiming to revive the shrinking market for whale-related foods. The vessel’s debut has prompted the Captain Paul Watson Foundation to acquire a new vessel, Bandero, to combat potential illegal whaling in the Southern Ocean.
Despite the decline in whale meat consumption in Japan over the years, concerns remain about the Kangei Maru’s potential expansion into Antarctica. Japan, however, maintains that commercial whaling is only permitted within its territorial sea and EEZ.