Japan’s aggressive attempts to tip the International Whaling Commission in favour of pro-whaling countries for the first time in almost 20 years suffered another blow on Wednesday when its proposal to dramatically raise the number of whales culled from the southern oceans was rejected.

However, Japan declared it would proceed regardless with plans to add humpbacks and fins, both endangered species, to the list of whales it catches in the name of science, and to more than double the number of minke whales it takes.