> Nonsense. Japan hunts mostly Minck whales which multiply like cockroaches and ruin fisheries all over the world. There are hundreds of thousands of them and they are in no way endangered. Indeed just the opposite is true.
That's "Mincke" whales. And no, Japan is not just "researching" this breed. They are quite happy to eat other types of whales, in the name of research.
Anyrate, they have no business hunting in a whale sanctuary in the South Pacific. Full stop.