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Still, defending the industry carries a nationalist appeal, with international criticism of whaling sometimes seen as an imposition of Western values.

Leaders in Australia are “extremely disappointed” by Japan’s decision, according to a joint statement by Marise Payne, the minister for foreign affairs, and Melissa Price, the minister for the environment. Australia maintains a sanctuary for whales, dolphins and porpoises that includes parts of the Antarctic, and it has clashed with Japan over its annual hunts there.

“Australia remains resolutely opposed to all forms of commercial and so-called ‘scientific’ whaling,” the ministers said. “We will continue to work within the commission to uphold the global moratorium on commercial whaling.”

But the ministers said they welcomed Japan’s exit from the Antarctic and the Australian Whale Sanctuary, which they said “will finally be true sanctuaries for all whales.”

From 2005 to 2017, Sea Shepherd, an environmentalist group, used its own ships to try to interfere with Japan’s whaling in the Antarctic. As the Japanese news media reported last week that a withdrawal from the whaling commission was being considered, Paul Watson, Sea Shepherd’s founder, said in a statement that he considered it good news. He said it would end Japan’s activities in the Antarctic while making Sea Shepherd’s “objective of shutting down these poachers much easier.”

“This means that Japan is now openly declaring their illegal whaling activities,” he said. “No more pretense of research whaling. With this announcement, Japan has declared themselves as a pirate whaling nation.”