Japan resumes commercial whaling after 30 years

A small fleet of whaling vessels have caught their first whales in Japan's first commercial hunt in decades, in defiance of international criticism.

The whaling ships have a permit to catch 227 minke, Bryde's and sei whales this year in Japanese waters.

Japan's last commercial hunt was in 1986, but it has continued whaling for what it says are research purposes.

It has now withdrawn from the International Whaling Commission (IWC) so is no longer subject to its rules.

IWC members had agreed to an effective ban on whale hunting, but Japan has long argued it is possible to hunt whales in a sustainable way.