Japan to revise northern Pacific sei whaling program

TOKYO (AP) — Japan says it will revise one of its two major research whaling programs after an international organization said bringing home and selling sei whale is illegal — a possible setback for Japan's ambition to resume commercial whaling.

The standing committee of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, or CITES, this week said Japan's hauling of sei whale caught in the Northern Pacific research program is illegal because its meat is sold later.

CITES bans commercial trade of sei whale.

Fisheries officials said Thursday that Japan will submit a revision to the convention by Feb. 1.

It won't affect Japan's Antarctic hunts.

Japan annually hunts about 130 sei and 170 minke whales in the Northern Pacific and up to 333 minkes in the Antarctic.