Korea strengthens whale protection

South Korean officials will tighten rules to combat illegal whaling.

South Korea banned commercial whale fishing since 1986.

Although whale trading and hunting is banned in South Korea, dead whale buying and selling activities still occur, BBC said.

Under the new rules, fishermen were forced to tell the police immediately after the whales were found dead in their nets or washed ashore. Specimens from dead whales must be handed over to the competent authorities for inspection. Fishermen can only sell whale meat after the authorities announce the results of the full investigation of how they died.

The Korean Ministry of Agriculture said that those who caught dead whales would also be allowed to process and sell them only at designated state facilities. Seoul hopes the new law will help officials deal effectively with the increasing illegal hunting of whales.

South Korea was allowed to hunt commercial whales, but it was banned when the International Whaling Commission suspended this activity globally in 1986.