Following its withdrawal from the International Whaling Commission (IWC), Japan resumed commercial whaling for the first time in 31 years in July 2019. Whale meat supply, however, has fallen by more than 30 percent from levels prior to the withdrawal.
The government has curbed the quotas for whale hunting as a consequence of having to retreat from abundant fishing grounds in the Antarctic Ocean, with whalers continuing on a rocky road in their pursuit of trying to turn a profit.
Whale meat, though, remains more of a luxury for consumers because of its more expensive price tag compared to cheaper choices of fish, a favorite of the masses.