Why is so called ';whale hunting for scientific research'; still tolerated.?

Why have all the major countries of this world not brought massive trade sanctions against Japan and the other whale hunting nations. It is utterly apalling that this behaviour is tolerated by any society, today. What gives whale hunting countries the right to deprive these magnificent creatures of life and future generations of people the chance to marvel at them. Is it because japan and Norway are not oil producing nations., or is there something else which I have missed. Or is it apathy on the part of the political leaders of the major economies of this world?.Why is so called ';whale hunting for scientific research'; still tolerated.?
The same thing gives the Japanese the right to make a living, that gives you the right. The same thing gives the Japanese the right to harvest whales, that gives you the right to harvest fish. That thing is called a sovereign nation and it exists to protect the rights of it's countrymen.Why is so called ';whale hunting for scientific research'; still tolerated.?
Japanese whalers only catch a certain species of whale, which is not in danger of extinction. So, what's the problem - sentimentality, that's all.


Maybe Israel and the Islamic countries should get together and bring massive trade sanctions against the pork-eating nations, or India should slap sanctions on us for eating beef? Whale is a traditional food for many different societies, and if some of the whales caught for research end up on the dinner table (after the relevant parts have been removed for testing), who are we to say that this is wrong?