A Japanese hamburger chain will on Thursday start selling whale-meat burgers, hours after the International Whaling Commission condemned Tokyo’s plans to double the number of whales it kills during so-called research hunts.
Lucky Pierrot, which operates fast-food restaurants mainly on the northernmost island of Hokkaido, said whale meat had emerged as one of the two most popular fillings in a customer survey, according to the Mainichi Shimbun newspaper.
Despite condemnation, Japan has recently stepped up its campaign to promote whalemeat consumption.
The meat comes from whales slaughtered during research hunts which Japan says are necessary to monitor changes in the whale population and to manage stocks.
On Tuesday Japan failed to overturn the ban on commercial whaling at the IWC’s meeting in Ulsan, South Korea. On Wednesday a majority of members urged it to abandon plans to expand its research hunts. – Guardian Unlimited Â