There are 8 billion humans. So we should be allowed to hunt a few hundred thousand a year without anyone having a problem with it.
The problem isn't primarily about the numbers of minke whales. It's that they are hunting what many people consider a sentient species, in an inhuman way. In most parts of the world, you aren't allowed to slaughter an animal (at least in theory) in a way that causes pain or distress. With whales there is no reasonable way of doing this due to their size.
Without this documentation and tracking, the whalers will continue to hide from anyone's view.