Amid international controversy, a fleet of ships will set sail from the port of Shimonoseki on Monday.

After departing the Yamaguchi Prefecture port, they will begin a mission that will enrage many, but perhaps hearten others. Supporters might call it a day that was 30 years in the making. Detractors will call it a step back for whale conservation efforts.

In a polarizing move, Japan will resume commercial whaling Monday following its withdrawal from the International Whaling Commission, breaking away from the organization¡¯s worldwide moratorium on whale hunting enacted over three decades ago.