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epa07248597 (FILE) - A handout photo made available by Greenpeace shows the Yushin Maru catcher ship of the Japanese whaling fleet injuring a whale with its first harpoon attempt, and taking a further three harpoon shots before finally killing the badly injured fleeing whale in the Southern Ocean, 07 January 2006 (reissued 26 December 2018). According to media report on 26 December 2018, the government of Japan announced that it will withdraw from the International Whaling Commission (IWC), effective 30 June 2019, and soon after will resume commercial whaling within its territorial waters and exclusive economic zone. The move comes amid resistance to Japan's efforts to advocate commercial whaling of plentiful whale species from anti-whaling countries in the IWC. EPA/JEREMY SUTTON-HIBBERT / HANDOUT HANDOUT EDITORIAL USE ONLY/NO SALES