Japan's whale hunt ignites outrage

TOKYO - A Japanese whaling fleet returned to port on Friday after an annual Antarctic hunt that killed more than 300 of the mammals as the country pursues the program in defiance of global criticism.

The fleet set sail for the Southern Ocean in November, with plans to slaughter 333 minke whales, flouting a worldwide moratorium and opposition led by Australia and New Zealand.

The fleet consisted of five ships, three of which arrived in the morning at Shimonoseki port in western Japan, the country's Fisheries Agency said.