PICTURES: Japan to resume commercial whaling from July 2019; sparks criticism

The decision was announced in an official statement by the Japanese government spokesperson Yoshihide Suga, who said whaling will resume within Japan's territorial waters and exclusive economic zones. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko, File)

Commercial whaling was banned by the IWC in 1986 after some species were almost driven to extinction. But, for many years Japan has hunted whales for what it calls "scientific research" and to sell the meat, a programme widely slammed by conservationists. (AP Photo/Shuji Kajiyama)

Japan on Wednesday announced its withdrawal from the International Whaling Commission (IWC) conservation body and said it will resume commercial whale hunting from July 2019, a move that is likely to draw international criticism. In this June 21, 2009, photo, a Baird's beaked whale, which was caught some 60 kilometers (38 miles) off the coast, is seen at a fishing port, in Wada, southeast of Tokyo.(AP Photo/Shuji Kajiyama)

Japan, an IWC member since 1951, will cease whaling activities in the Antarctic Ocean or other parts of the Southern Hemisphere, the statement said, adding that it will hunt species with so-called "healthy" population numbers. In this March 27, 2014, file photo, packs of whale meat to be sold hang at a whale meat specialty store at Tokyo's Ameyoko shopping district. (AP Photo/Shizuo Kambayashi, File)

Japan has hunted whales for centuries, but has reduced its catch following international protests and declining demand for whale meat at home. In this file photo taken on April 25, 2014 Japanese whaling ships are anchored at Ayukawa port in Ishinomaki. - Japan said on December 26 it is withdrawing from the International Whaling Commission and will resume commercial whaling next year, sparking criticism from activists and anti-whaling countries including Australia. (Photo by Kazuhiro NOGI / AFP)