Australia takes stand against whale hunting

AUSTRALIA will call on the International Whaling ­Commission to take greater responsibility for how it deals with so-called scientific whaling — including Japanese whaling in the Southern Ocean — Environment Minister Josh Frydenberg says.

Dead minke whales on the deck of the Japanese whaling vessel in the Southern Ocean.

AUSTRALIA will call on the International Whaling ­Commission to take greater responsibility for how it deals with so-called scientific whaling — including Japanese whaling in the Southern Ocean — Environment Minister Josh Frydenberg says.

Mr Frydenberg will travel to Slovenia at the weekend for the commission’s biennial meeting.

He said he would advocate for the global protection of whales and other marine mammals in the cetacean family.

“I will deliver a statement on Australia’s behalf at this meeting, build support for two Australian-led resolutions, and hold bilateral talks with other nations to jointly champion the cause of cetacean conservation.

“Australia will call on the commission to take greater responsibility for how it deals with so-called ‘scientific’ whaling, including Japanese whaling, in the Southern Ocean.

“For too long, the commission has deferred responsibility for so-called ‘scientific’ whaling to its scientific committee.

“The commission must be more engaged on this important and divisive issue and form its own conclusions.”

This year marks the 70th anniversary of the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling and the 30th anniversary of the global moratorium on commercial whaling.

“The Turnbull Coalition Government strongly supports the global moratorium and will continue to work towards a permanent end to all forms of commercial and so-called ‘scientific’ whaling,” Mr Frydenberg said.

While in Slovenia, Mr Frydenberg will host an event to celebrate the success of the commission’s Southern Ocean Research Partnership, which he said had repeatedly demonstrated whales did not need to be killed in order to be studied.

“At least 45 species of whales, dolphins and porpoises — including the humpback, minke, southern right, blue and sperm whale — are found in Australian waters,” Mr Frydenberg said.

“We take our obligations to protect these and all the world’s cetaceans seriously.”

Japan claims to conduct vital scientific research using a loophole in an international whaling ban, but makes no secret of the fact that the mammals end up on dinner plates.

Tokyo was forced to call off the 2014-15 hunt after the International Court of Justice ruled its annual Antarctic foray was commercial, masquerading as science.

But the hunt resumed late last year, with the fleet returning to Japan in March this year having killed more than 300 whales.

Sea Shepherd has vowed to throw everything at the Japanese in a bid to stop the slaughter this coming summer and has added a fast new vessel, the Ocean Warrior, to its latest whale defence campaign.

After the International Whaling Commission meeting, Mr Frydenberg will travel to Paris for meetings to discuss the implementation of the Paris climate change agreement and the Reef 2050 Plan.

Originally published as Australia takes stand against whale hunting