Japan under pressure over hunting of endangered whales

GENEVA: Japan insisted on Friday (Saturday in Manila) it no longer hunts endangered sei whales in international waters, but faced accusations of still violating a wildlife treaty by allowing commercialization of meat from past catches.

The standing committee of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) last October found Japan in breach of the treaty and ordered it to rectify the situation or face trade sanctions.