Japan, who has been under criticism in the past for its whaling expeditions, is in trouble again. The Australian government released photographs today that show the dead carcasses of two minke whales. The photographs were taken by customs officials who were following the hunt which took place in the Antarctic. The controversy arose because of the way the whales were presented, side-by-side, with one whale approximately ten feet shorter than the other.

Japan justifies its whaling excursions as research expeditions that are necessary to the continued study of whale growth and development. The expedition was originally planned to kill 900 minke whales and 50 fin whales. While Australia has openly protested the whaling industry, many Japanese wonder why other countries are interfering with their culture and activities. They make a good point, isn’t eating veal a horrendous crime to the calf? What separates eating veal from eating whales?