From Aol News:
By MARI YAMAGUCHI, AP
TOKYO -Japan cautiously welcomed an International Whaling Commission proposal that would effectively allow commercial whaling for the first time in 25 years — though under strict quotas that the commission argues will reduce the global catch.
Despite a 1986 moratorium on whaling, Japan, Norway and Iceland catch whales for various IWC-sanctioned purposes, including scientific research — which opponents such as Australia and conservation activists say are a cover for commercial whaling.