Japan's whaling fleet in the Antarctic will avoid killing humpback whales for now, a government official said today.
The move follows an announcement by Australia on Wednesday that it would send a fisheries patrol ship to gather evidence for a possible international court challenge to halt Japan's yearly slaughter.
"Japan has decided not to catch humpback whales for one year or two," a government spokesman said.
Japan said it will press on with plans to catch about 1,000 other whales by early in the new year, however.
