Japan, where whale meat is regarded as a delicacy, abandoned commercial whaling in 1986 in line with an international ban, but began a programme to hunt whales in what it calls scientific research whaling the following year. The meat ends up on store shelves and on the tables of gourmet restaurants.

Japan maintains that eating whale is an important part of its cultural heritage despite the protests of environmentalists determined to prevent the killing of the marine mammals, some species of which are endangered.

The plan is to be submitted to the annual meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) this summer.

It calls for Japan initially to hunt around 10 humpbacks and 10 fin whales per year, Kyodo said, and to sharply increase the number of minkes it takes each year from the 440 it took in the Antarctic in the past whaling season.

Japan last expanded its hunt in 2002, when it added sei whales to the list, setting off an international furore. It also takes sperm whales and Bryde's whales in addition to minkes.

It says it supports protection of endangered species but argues that others, such as the minke, are numerous enough to be hunted within limits.

Japanese Fisheries Agency official Takatori Nagatomo declined to comment on the report, saying that under IWC rules no details of the plan can be revealed until it has been submitted.

"Over the last 18 years we've found out many things about the situation of whales in the Antarctic, and there's a need to investigate the entire ecosystem," he added.

"It would be meaningless to continue our research programme in exactly the same way."

A different Fisheries Agency official said: "It has been recorded that the populations of the humpback and fin whales in the Antarctic are increasing. Nobody disputes this."

Japanese officials had said before details of the new plan emerged that Japan would continue whaling even if the plan was rejected at the IWC meeting in South Korea this summer.

"We always maintain that we will discuss these things scientifically," the official said. "But with whales, it quickly grows emotional."

Japan blames whales for declining fish catches, saying the mammoth mammals consume such vast quantities of fish that they have contributed to a huge drop in fish landings.