The government will propose the resumption of commercial whaling at an International Whaling Commission (IWC) general meeting in September, sources said.
Tokyo will also suggest easing prerequisites for votes on crucial matters as it looks for ways to resume whaling.
IWC general meetings are held biennially. The coming meeting will mark the first time in four years Japan has proposed the resumption of commercial whaling, which has been suspended since 1988. Its previous proposal in 2014 was rejected.
Currently, decisions on important matters require approval from three-quarters of participating member nations. Disagreement between pro-whaling and antiwhaling nations has led to gridlock at the commission, prompting Japan to propose lowering the threshold for approval to a simple majority.
Yet discord over whaling runs deep, calling into question whether the talks will proceed as Japan hopes. In 1982, the IWC suspended whaling on an interim basis. Japan halted commercial whaling in 1988, though it has continued whaling for scientific research.
The meeting will be held in Brazil and will be chaired by Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology Prof. Joji Morishita, who will represent the government. Morishita will become the first Japanese person to preside over the meeting in 47 years.
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