Australia slams Japan’s decision to resume commercial whaling
Japan will resume commercial whaling next year — a move which has drawn the ire of the Australian government and international community. DO YOU AGREE? TAKE OUR POLL.
Japan will resume commercial whaling next year — a move which has drawn the ire of the Australian government and international community.
The Japanese government confirmed today that it would pull out of an international agreement on whaling that bans the commercial practice.
The decision had been widely expected since Australia successfully argued against Japan’s push to allow commercial whaling in the Southern Ocean in September.
But in a bid to quell international condemnation, senior government spokesman Yoshihide Suga announced Japan would not hunt in Antarctic waters or in the southern hemisphere.
“We have decided to withdraw from the International Whaling Commission in order to resume commercial whaling in July next year,” Mr Suga said.
“Commercial whaling to be resumed from July next year will be limited to Japan’s territorial waters and exclusive economic zones.”
Foreign Minister Marise Payne said the government was “extremely disappointed” with the decision.
“The International Whaling Commission plays a crucial role in international co-operation on whale conservation,” she said.
“Australia remains resolutely opposed to all forms of commercial and so-called ‘scientific’ whaling.”
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Senator Payne noted Japan’s commitment to co-operate with the Commission as an observer and hoped it would keep communication lines open.
“The Australian Government welcomes Japan’s announcement that it will stop whaling in the Southern Ocean as of next summer,” she said.
“This means that the International Whaling Commission’s vast Southern Ocean Sanctuary, and our own Australian Whale Sanctuary, will finally be true sanctuaries for all whales.”
Australia has long opposed “scientific” whaling and had launched a Southern Ocean research project that demonstrated there was no need to kill whales to study them.
Tokyo has repeatedly threatened to pull out of the Commission and has been regularly criticised for catching hundreds of whales a year for scientific research despite being a signatory to a moratorium on hunting the animals.
It makes no secret of the fact that meat from the expeditions ends up on dinner tables.
The withdrawal will come into effect by June 30.
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