TOKYO (AP) — Hundreds of pro-whaling Japanese officials, lawmakers and lobby group members vowed Tuesday to continue whale hunts despite a world court ruling that ordered the country to halt its Antarctic whaling program.

Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi told the meeting that Japan must protect its whale-eating culture and secure sources of whale meat. Japan as a maritime nation “has a policy of harvesting and sustainably using the protein source from the ocean, and that is unshakable,” Hayashi said.