Japan has restarted ­commercial whaling after 31 years to worldwide ­dismay and fury.

Five ships packed with harpoons arrived back with catches on Monday, which included two Minke whales.

One of the whales caught was more than 8m long and taken to a warehouse.

The whaling ships have a permit to catch 227 minke, Bryde’s and sei whales this year in Japanese waters.

Yoshifumi Kai, head of the Japan Small-Type Whaling Association, said: “My heart is overflowing with happiness, and I’m deeply moved.

“People have hunted whales for more than 400 years in my ­hometown.”

One whaler said before setting off: “I’m a bit nervous but happy that we can start whaling. I don’t think young people know how to cook and eat whale meat any more.

“I want more people try to taste it at least once.”

The commercial whaling in Japan has sparked worldwide outrage

But conservationists and activists, in the UK and ­worldwide, were left horrified.

Nicola Beynon, of the Humane Society International, accused Japan of a “new and shocking era of pirate whaling.”

She added: “This is a sad day for whale protection globally.”

In the UK, the Whale and Dolphin Conservation said the move was “bizarre”.

It said consumption of whale meat in Japan had declined by almost 99 per cent between 1962 and 2017, with less than 4000 tonnes of it eaten in 2017.

It added: “The ban on commercial whaling is one of the biggest achievements of modern conservation.

“By ignoring the ban and resuming commercial whaling, the Japanese government sets a dangerous example. Many whale species are still ­struggling to recover from the effects of the mass slaughter that was industrial whaling in the 20th century.

“All whale populations are already under threat from issues like climate change, pollution, entanglement and habitat degradation.

“The last thing they need is a ­resumption of large scale whaling.” Japan announced its ­withdrawal from the ­International Whaling Commission last December.

The captured Minke whale lifted into a truck in Japan

A move branded “sneaky” by Greenpeace.

As a member, Japan had “exploited” a loophole which allowed them an annual whale quota for “scientific reasons”.

Japan whalers travelled as far as the North Atlantic or even to the Antarctic, killing about 500 whales last year.

But Japan insist whaling is part of the country’s tradition and should not be subject to international ­interference.

Now its whalers will not be able to travel further than 200 miles off its Pacific coast.

Robert Read from non-profit conservation group Sea ­Shepherd UK, explained: “The real story is that Japan never gave up commercial whaling.

“They have been whaling using a scientific loophole. They are also the largest killers of dolphins in the world.

“Now whales in ­Antarctica and the Pacific are safe because they cannot whale outside their own international waters.

“This is actually a win for the whales on balance.”