While whaling experts and negotiators debate the future of whaling, some specialists worry that whale health and the safety of whale meat are not getting enough attention.
"Marine animals such as whales and dolphins have far higher levels of pollutants," said Shinsuke Tanabe, a professor of environmental chemistry and ecotoxicology at Ehime University's Center for Marine Environmental Studies.
Sitting at the top of the food chain, whales and other sea mammals are magnets for pollutants, which tend to accumulate at the higher end of the predatory ladder, the marine pollution expert said.