Japan has killed 8,201 minke whales in the Antarctic for “scientific purposes” since the moratorium in 1986. A total of 840 whales were killed by Japan under special permit during the 31 years before the moratorium¹.

Japan took a total of 866 whales in 2006/07 season:

• 3 Southern Hemisphere fin whales,
• 508 Southern Hemisphere minke whales,
  
• 197 North Pacific minke whales,
  
• 51 North Pacific Brydes whales,
  
• 101 North Pacific sei whales,
  
• 6 North Pacific sperm whales.² 
  

The 2005/06 season was the first time Japan had taken fin whales, an endangered species.

Japan have previously announced that in the 2007-08 they will increase their take of fin whales to 50, and also take 50 humpback whales as part of their “scientific whaling” programme.

<sup>1) Info from IWC 58 Workshop document on Fin Whales WKM-AWI8

2) Info from IWC website submitted by the Government of New Zealand</sup>

In 2006/07 Iceland took 60 minke whales under special permit for "scientific whaling", up from 39 in the last season¹.

However Iceland announced in October 2006 that in addition to the whales caught for scientific research, they would resume commercial whaling and issued quotas for 30 minke whales and 9 fin whales².

In the 2006/2007 season, Iceland took 7 fin whales and 1 minke whale under its commercial whaling programme.

^{1) Info from IWC website
2) Info from Iceland Ministry of Fisheries website}

Norway broke the moratorium in 1993 and resumed commercial whaling. Since then they have taken over 6,879 minke whales under objection¹.

Norway took 545 whales in 2006 season.

^{1) Info from IWC website}