30 Dec 2010

Japanese activists claim whale meat victory

11:05 am on 30 December 2010

Japanese Greenpeace activists known as the 'Tokyo Two' say they have been vindicated in their efforts to expose corruption in the country's whaling industry.

The powerful Japanese Fisheries Agency has admitted that some of its officials took kickbacks of whale meat, the ABC reports.

The agency has apologised and vowed to stamp out corruption in the industry.

For Toru Suzuki, this confession by the Fisheries Agency could help overturn his criminal conviction.

Together with fellow Greenpeace activist Junichi Sato, he was given a one-year suspended sentence for stealing whale meat.

Mr Suzuki says he was merely intercepting public property stolen by the whalers and exposing this corruption in the public interest.