Australian leader Turnbull says his country disappointed with Japan's return to whaling

TOKYO – Australia's leader has said that his country is "very disappointed" with Japan's decision to resume whaling in Antarctic waters.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull made the remark to reporters in Tokyo during a one-day visit to Japan on Friday.

He described Australia and Japan as good friends who should discuss their differences frankly.

Japan stopped whaling last year after an international court ruled against its program. It has since revised the program to reduce its maximum catch considerably, and a fleet of whaling ships set out at the beginning of this month for a scaled-down, three-month hunt.