What's the proof? Like any crime scene, it's all in the DNA evidence. Here's what a team of molecular ecologists have found:

DNA detective work has revealed that fishermen in South Korea are snaring far more whales in their nets than they admit. The "bycatch" is so large that some observers believe whales are being netted deliberately, breaking the moratorium on commercial whaling set by the International Whaling Commission (IWC).

Whale meat can be sold legally in South Korea if the animals are caught by accident in fishing nets, but such deaths must be reported to the government. Between 1999 and 2003, fishermen reported snaring 458 minke whales. Now a team led by Scott Baker of Oregon State University in Newport says the true catch was nearly twice that number and threatens the survival of minke whales in the Sea of Japan.

The researchers estimate that fishermen caught about 827 minke whales between 1999 and 2003.

So what are the South Korean officials saying?

"I'm not in a position to comment on a scientific study. But we have a solid system to control commercial whaling," Ahn Chi-Guk, deputy director of the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, told AFP.

...

Kim Zang-Geun, head of the state-financed Cetacean Research Institute, said the estimate might have been overblown.

"I can't say for sure until I see the original paper, but I wonder if the sampling and statistical estimate can be reliable enough," he said, noting that access to the whale meat market here is very limited.

Well, Mr. Kim, here's the paper. Take a look at it, think about it, and just remember, Greenpeace has had its eye on the South Korean government's support for whaling for years.

Between us, and the DNA detectives, it's getting hard to hide, isn't it?