Environmental activists in South Korea are condemning a government plan to hunt endangered whales for scientific research. They believe the plan is part of an effort to restart commercial whaling activities. Such activities are banned in many countries. South Korea announced the proposal in July at a meeting of the International Whaling Commission in Panama. The head of the South Korean delegation   said the plan was needed to answer questions about minke whale populations. He said the hunt would take place near the South Korean coast. But he did not say how many of the animals would be caught. The International Whaling Commission has yet to make a decision on the South Korean plan. The organization banned commercial whaling in 1986 because of concerns about the survival of whale species. But now, some South Korean fishermen say they are facing a threat from minke whales. They say these animals are eating what would have been their catch. The plan was immediately condemned by anti-whaling nations. Wildlife activists also criticized the proposal. Han Jeong-hee works in Seoul for the environmental group Greenpeace."It's really regretful to hear that the South Korean government is, like, considering conducting scientific whaling. Scientific whaling is just, like, thinly disguised commercial whaling. And, you know, we are of course against all commercial whaling. Japan's the only country that is doing scientific whaling at the moment and South Korea is just trying to follow that." Apart from the plan in South Korea, an aquarium   in the American state of Georgia also wants to import eighteen beluga whales from Russia. The United States currently has 31 beluga whales. They are living in six aquariums and marine parks. Four of them are at the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta. The Georgia Aquarium has asked the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for permission to import the beluga whales. If it was approved, aquarium officials would send some of the animals to the other facilities. The Georgia Aquarium says it hopes to use the beluga whales in research, education and breeding programs. They currently are being held at a Russian research center. Yet many people oppose the plan. They say it is wrong to catch any wild animal. NOAA officials are studying how the beluga whales might be affected by being brought to the United States. They also want to know whether the Georgia Aquarium and its partners can properly care for the whales and how they might be used in educational activities. The federal Marine Mammal Protection Act sets rules which NOAA must consider when deciding whether these animals may be imported. NOAA officials told VOA they plan to make a decision on the request by early next year. In which country is whale hunting permitted at the moment?
The United States. South Korea. Japan. Russia.