Good news for whales - Japan's whaling ruled to be not for scientific reasons

Warrigal

Warrigal

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Location
Sydney, Australia
Every southern Summer the Japanese whaling fleet comes down to the Antarctic region and slaughters hundreds of whales in a whale sanctuary "for scientific reasons". This is the loophole that has allowed them to get around the International Whaling Commission's ban on commercial whaling.

Our governments (plural) have never had the gumption to challenge the Japanese at sea but the Sea Shepherd organisation has sent ships to disrupt the hunt. The previous Labor government decided to take the Japanese to an international court, claiming that the whaling program was illegal because it was not conducted for scientific reasons.

It's been a long time coming but the court has ruled against Japan.

FORMER environment minister Peter Garrett says he feels vindicated that the UN's top court has ruled that Japan's whaling hunt is not scientific and should cease immediately.
Four years ago Mr Garrett helped launch legal action against Japan in the International Court of Justice to try and put a stop to its controversial Antarctic whaling program.

It was the first time any country had used an international court to try to stop whaling.
The ICJ on Monday ruled that Japan's hunt in the Southern Ocean was not a scientific program and it should cease with "immediate effect".

Mr Garrett said he felt vindicated by the decision Labor made in 2010 to pursue the case against so-called "scientific whaling" in The Hague.

"I'm absolutely over the moon, for all those people who wanted to see the charade of scientific whaling cease once and for all," the former Midnight Oil singer told ABC Radio on Monday evening.

"I think (this) means without any shadow of a doubt that we won't see the taking of whales in the Southern Ocean in the name of science."

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/new...t-whaling-result/story-fn3dxiwe-1226870270938
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Unfortunately, this might not save the whales. Japan may decide to leave the IWC and be no longer bound by the ban. They could resume commercial whaling on a grand scale. It all depends on how much odium from other countries they are prepared to wear.
 

I am not sure what the difference is between whaling and fishing? If the whales the Japanese are catching are an endangered species then of course it should be banned. But if not, what is the problem?
 
It was because whales were being hunted to dangerously low levels, particularly the humpbacks, that the IWC countries agreed to the ban. Australia used to hunt whales before that decision as did many other countries. We stopped.

It is also the reason the whale sanctuaries were set up in Antarctic waters. We have responsibility for the Southern Ocean sanctuary. Japan has no business hunting in a whale sanctuary but they have been pretending that they are doing it for the whales' benefit, not for the meat.

The Japanese don't even like whale meat anymore so they are feeding it to school children in an attempt to create a new market for the product.

We love our whales and their migrations north and south are watched with interest by lots of people each year. In recent years their numbers have been recovering and we sometimes get whales and calves enter Sydney Harbour, much to the delight of everyone.
 
Warrigal said:
It was because whales were being hunted to dangerously low levels, particularly the humpbacks, that the IWC countries agreed to the ban. Australia used to hunt whales before that decision as did many other countries. We stopped.

It is also the reason the whale sanctuaries were set up in Antarctic waters. We have responsibility for the Southern Ocean sanctuary. Japan has no business hunting in a whale sanctuary but they have been pretending that they are doing it for the whales' benefit, not for the meat.

The Japanese don't even like whale meat anymore so they are feeding it to school children in an attempt to create a new market for the product.

We love our whales and their migrations north and south are watched with interest by lots of people each year. In recent years their numbers have been recovering and we sometimes get whales and calves enter Sydney Harbour, much to the delight of everyone.
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If they are endangered fair enough, otherwise they are just another meat source
 
I'm glad to hear about the ruling. Enforcement will be the other step. I get so discouraged with people, greed, gluttony. And with no thought of what happens when you take, take, take, and never give back anything? I guess you start on something else:(
 
Lets' hope the Japanese abide by the ruling, but I suspect they will find a way around it. How many whales do you need for scientific purposes, to have been killing them for years and not really into eating whale meat, I can't see what their purpose is.
 
This ruling only stops them from whaling in the Southern Whale sanctuary. They can still hunt whales in their own waters or they can actually do some real research. Lethal methods of research are still permitted but the court ruled that their program had very little to do with research.

The joke has been "3000 dead whales and what have we got to show for it? Five new recipes."
 
I am 74 & spent my childhood living on the East coast of Australia. I watched as every April, May Dolphin & whales migrate North up the coast to Queensland
where they gave birth to their young. When the Japanese started to hunt whales in the southern sanctuary they were slaying Mothers & their young. There
was NO selective capture, just wholesale slaughter. Every year you could see less & less Females migrating to give birth.
Where I lived at MAROUBRA, there was a bay called LURLINE BAY ( in Sydney) the whales used to rest along with Dolphins, now there is hardly any.
Last year was the first year in 10 to 20 years that a whale actually came into Sydney Harbour to rest.
I FOR ONE AM ECSTATIC ABOUT THE DECISION & THANK YOU KEVIN RUDD A FORMER AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTER WHO 4 YEAR AGO INTRODUCE THE PAPER TO THE COURTS.
 
I've only seen whales off the coast of Oregon, and when we vacationed in Hawaii. It's heartbreaking to hear that they slay the mothers and their young...humans can be so cold-hearted.
 
Tinbum is it, thou has been listening to farm woman, a varlet i be all ready, and a slave to my bacon butty breakfast.

Dame indeed, archaic or humorous an elderly or mature woman. a matronly dame presided at the table. but i preside at the table of Knights fair granny:king:
 
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