Japanese whaling: Japan to unveil redesigned Southern Ocean program following International Court of Justice ruling By science and environment reporter Jake Sturmer and Mazoe Ford. Updated about 10 hours agoSat 13 Sep 2014, 4:10pm A minke whale carcass is tied to the side of a whaling ship. Photo: Japan plans to return to the Southern Ocean next year with a redesigned program that meets the International Whaling Commissions rules. (AAP: Greenpeace, file photo) Related Story: International court orders Japan to immediately stop whaling in Antarctic Related Story: Japanese whaling decision to be handed down by international court Map: Antarctica Japan is expected to unveil the details of its new plan to hunt whales in the Southern Ocean when it fronts the International Whaling Commission in Slovenia next week. In March the International Court of Justice ordered the Japanese cease hunting in the Antarctic because their operations were commercial and not scientific. Japan will comply this summer, but plans to return next year with a redesigned program that meets the ICJs scientific requirements. New Zealand has put forward a resolution that would incorporate the ICJs decision into the International Whaling Commissions rules. It would effectively prevent the Japanese from whaling in the Southern Ocean until at least 2016-17. Countries have been in the business of being able to issue themselves permits to go whaling allegedly for research purposes, New Zealands foreign minister Murray McCully said. Do you know more about this story? Email [email protected] Now what the ICJ has done is say you cant just do that without there being quite a lot of work thats going on to justify research whaling and theyve laid down some tests which we thought were good tests. Environment Minister Greg Hunt is expected to leave tomorrow to attend the meeting in Slovenia, but his position on the New Zealand resolution has not been revealed. Mr Hunt declined an interview, but Mr McCully took time out from election campaigning in Auckland to discuss the issue with the ABC. He is hopeful for Australias support. Its our neighbourhood, its our backyard ... we dont mean any offence to our friends in Japan but we do hold a strong view and we intend to express it. NZ foreign minister Murray McCully I know that our officials have been engaging with Australian officials to try and achieve that objective, Mr McCully said. While in Opposition Mr Hunt was a strident critic of Japanese whaling. International law expert Don Rothwell said the minister had been very quiet since coming to power. [It is] the first diplomatic opportunity for Australia and the Abbott Government to show its colours in light of the ICJs decision, Professor Rothwell said. Director of the Australian Marine Conservation Society Darren Kindleysides said Australia, which filed the ICJ lawsuit, cannot afford to take a softly, softly approach now. That Japan has really disregarded the findings of International Court of Justice shows great disregard to those findings themselves, Mr Kindleysides said. We expect Australia must be strong otherwise all of that investment in getting such an emphatic victory at the International Court of Justice could go to waste. NZ vows to defend the ground the court gave us The Federal Government has signalled its intention to strengthen ties with Japan and is considering buying Japanese-built submarines. Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe visited Australia in July to sign an historic free trade agreement and inspect an iron ore mine in the Pilbara. During the visit Prime Minister Tony Abbott paid tribute to Japan, saying Western Australias multi-billion-dollar iron ore industry would not be what it is today without the trade partners presence. The Government has been trying to trumpet its relationship with Japan during its first year in office and has sought to downplay whaling as a source of disagreement between the two countries, Professor Rothwell said. Mr McCully said there were clear views about the idea of Japanese whaling in the Southern Ocean. Its our neighbourhood, its our backyard ... we dont mean any offence to our friends in Japan but we do hold a strong view and we intend to express it, Mr McCully said. We intend to defend the ground that the court gave us. Mr Kindleysides believes the Australian Government should put pressure on Japan. Australia has always been very clear that its OK for friends to disagree and so a strong stance on whaling hasnt in the past cost us any of that relationship with Japan, he said. The is one of the most significant International Whaling Commission meetings for years. Its the first meeting since the landmark ICJ decision but also potentially itll be the last meeting before Japan returns to the Southern Ocean if theyre allowed to. Make no mistake therell be one almighty arm wrestle going on this year.
Posted on: Sat, 13 Sep 2014 16:50:24 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015