Japan flouted an international ruling of a whaling ban after the International Whaling Commission said it needed more data to support its plan to research whaling in the Antarctic.

Japan resumed minke whaling for so-called “scientific purposes” as part of this year’s Antarctic whale hunt, according to the country’s Institute for Cetacean Research. The hunt was in blatant disregard of the International Court of Justice’s 2014 ruling that challenged the scientific legitimacy of the program.

The International Whaling Commission, which regulates the industry, has banned commercial whaling since 1986, but an exemption for scientific studies remains.

Japan has long been accused of using this exemption as cover for commercial whaling activities.