Japan has resumed commercial whaling after more than 30 years of adhering to a global ban on the practice. Japan, which has argued whaling is part of its culture, continued to hunt whales during the ban for what it claimed was scientific research, though critics say that was merely a veil as it continued selling whale meat for profit. Last December, Japan announced it was leaving the International Whaling Commission. Greenpeace Japan called that decision “out of step with the international community,” adding, “Japan must urgently act to conserve marine ecosystems.”