Whaling: Take action to end Japanese whaling now. For each of the last 25 years Japan’s whalers have headed to the Southern Oceans during the Southern summer to hunt whales amongst the Antarctic ice under the pretext of “scientific research”. In recent years, the whalers have planned (but failed) to catch almost 1000 minke and fin whales under Japan’s so-called ‘scientific whaling’ program. Japan’s whalers have killed over 10,000 whales in the Southern Ocean since 1987 when they first used the cover of “scientific research” to get around the international whaling ban brought in by the International Whaling Commission (IWC) in 1986. The International Whaling Commission has failed to resolve the deadlock that sees the heavily subsidised Japanese whaling fleet heading to Antarctic waters each summer despite the global ban on whaling.
While the whalers kill hundreds of whales claiming the hunt is essential research, international lawyers disagree. Lawyers have concluded that the Government of Japan’s Antarctic whaling program breaches numerous international laws and treaties and that there is a case for Japan to answer in the international courts. As long time advocates of a legal solution to bring an end to Japanese whaling, AMCS welcomed the Australian Government’s decision to finally challenge the whalers in the international courts. The Australian Government instigated legal action against the Government of Japan in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in an attempt to end Japan’s ‘scientific’ whaling. The case was heard in June and July 2013, but the findings are yet to be handed down. Incredibly, Japan has ignored the action and continued whaling regardless. Their Southern Ocean whaling fleet left port on. The Australian Government must demand Japan return its whaling fleet to port until the ICJ has made its ruling.
Take action to end Japanese whaling now
International Whaling Commission
The International Whaling Commission (IWC) is the international body set up to oversee the conservation of whale stocks and the regulation of whaling. It meets every two years in what has become a deeply divided and forum split between whaling and anti-whaling countries. In 2010 the IWC reached crisis point. Despite deep divides between pro-whaling nations like japan, Iceland and Norway and anti-whaling countries like Australia, the UK and Brazil, the meeting came within a tail slap of approving a return to commercial whaling under an ill founded compromise deal aiming to resolve the deep disputes within the IWC. AMCS was part of the international negotiations that fought off the disastrous compromise at the eleventh hour. Following the 2010 meeting the IWC has moved into slightly calmer waters, although it is yet to tackle the loopholes that see continued whaling by Japan, Norway and Iceland. The IWC is due to next meet in 2014. AMCS Director Darren Kindleysides at the IWC 2010.