Japan's 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 with the rejection of its proposal dramatically to expand the number of whales culled from the southern oceans.

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