2006 Volume 46 Issue 2 Pages 41-63
Edible whale products distributed in the Japanese market are composed of the following categories: a) By-products of whales caught in the Antarctic Ocean and the northwest Pacific Ocean for scientific purposes, b) Small cetaceans caught by small type-coastal whaling, c) Minke whales caught by small-type coastal whaling off the coast of Kushiro and Sanriku for scientific purposes, d) Small cetaceans caught by drive and hand-harpoon fisheries, and e) Incidental by-catches from fixed set nets. The supply of these products has increased in recent years and the reason for this is certain to be the expansion of scientific whaling activities both on the high seas and along the Japanese coastline. Here we review how these edible whale products are disseminated within Japan.
