Japan will abide by court's whaling decision

[denem]

Source: Sydney Morning Herald

Japan will respect an International Court of Justice order to end its annual Antarctic whale hunt despite "deep disappointment" with the landmark decision, it said on Monday.

The Court decided in favour of Australia, ruling that Japan's whale hunt in the Southern Ocean was not scientific and it should cease the program "with immediate effect".

"As a state that respects the rule of law ... and as a responsible member of the global community, Japan will abide by the decision of the court," Japan's chief negotiator Koji Tsuruoka said outside the United Nations' top court in The Hague. ...

The case was commenced at (Labor environment minister) Peter Garrett urging in 2010 by the Rudd Government, after conservation groups gained a series of opinions from legal panels in support of taking action.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/japan-will-abide-by-courts-whaling-decision-20140331-35ull.html

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As an activist, who remembers RW 80's taunts 'Abortion rights for Gay Whales' and all their lies, I can barely believe Japan has finally thrown in their bloody towel. It is finished. It's a dream.

Australia had a Labor Government and Peter Garrett was confident we would win. Congratulations to everyone.

[truebrit71]

1. That is great news!!!

And I truly hope that they mean it, and this is not just some ploy as they try and figure out some other loophole to use...

[denem]

3. I am sure they mean it. Japan has given up!

Japanese Government spokesmen have been all over Australian Radio and TV this morning saying that here will be no more whaling fleets in Antarctica. Congratulations also to he brave men and women of the Sea Shepherd organisation, who were prepared to pay the ultimate price, and to those who supported them. This is a great day.

[Downtown Hound]

2. Waiting for the Sea Shepherd bashers...oh wait, they probably won't come

Because I think even they know in their delusion that this would never have happened without the brave Sea Shepherd folks keeping this issue in the public eye for years. Well done Sea Shepherd. You won.

And if you ever doubt that in-your-face activism is damn effective, then just remember this success story.

[denem]

4. Agreed. And lets not forget an old activist, Peter Garrett, who went into politics,

and did not sell his soul. "Sometimes you have to take the hardest line". Time to celebrate with some Midnight Oil.

[Matilda]

24. I know Peter Garrett's heart was in this,

but I think he would have found his natural home with the Greens rather than Labor.

I think he was recruited by Labor to shut him up. He admitted in an interview that he had dreams of being PM one day, but that was never going to happen. But had he joined the Greens, he would have had enormous clout. He'd probably be leading them today, and dare I say, he'd be more effective than Christine Milne.

[Larkspur]

16. Supporter of Sea Shepherd here

Wonder if Sea Shepherd getting 2 more ships to attack the whalers finally made Japanese whaling very unprofitable?
Didn't help that Bob Barker paid for one of the ships himself and had his name on it.

The Japanese used international donations made to their tsunami relief fund to fix the whaling boats and turn at least 1 harpoon vessel into a "security" ship. I remember them getting creamed in the international press about that.

[Cleita]

5. That's what they agreed to the last time but got around the ban

by claiming they were catching whales to do research. I wonder what they have up their sleeves this time?

[denem]

6. On Australian radio and TV this morning, the Japanese are saying its over:

No more permits, no more factory ships, military escorts or battles with the Sea Shepherd. It's almost as if they were looking for a way out.

[Cleita]

10. That would be good news, but frankly I don't trust them.

It's too lucrative an industry for them to give it up so easily.

[denem]

15. Actually, Japan lost money on Whaling, big time.

It was always more of a political / ideological thing. Conservationists have regarded it as a "loss leader" for continuing, unfettered Tuna fishing. 'First Whales, then tuna'.

Japan's Whaling Industry Is Losing Tons of Government Cash
http://motherboard.vice.com/blog/japans-whaling-industry-losing-tons-of-money

[Cleita]

17. Good. Thanks for the info. I should have been more current. eom

[denem]

19. Cleita, after all these years, it does seem too good to be true,

but just this one time ... hooray!

[Cleita]

20. Indeed!

Hooray!

[Matilda]

25. I've read about the tons of whalemeat sitting around in freezers because nobody wants it.

I think the Japanese probably didn't want to "lose face" by giving in to pressure. This ruling might actually be getting them off a very uncomfortable hook.

[hack89]

9. I think they were looking for an honorable way out

and this court decision is exactly that.

[Cleita]

12. I really hope you guys are right. eom

[cheapdate]

7. Appreciation for the government of Japan

for announcing their intention to respect the decision of the court.

[denem]

8. "As a state that respects the rule of law and as a responsible member of the global community ...

the United States will invade Iraq anyway.

[catchnrelease]

11. Is there somewhere else they can do this?

Are they just finished in the Antarctic area or is that the only place that they hunted? I thought they tried doing some whaling around New Zealand or I might be way off there. I hope this is done completely and everywhere. My god, what a fantastic thing!!!

[denem]

13. Technically, Japan can begin whaling in the North Pacific.

They have not proposed a 'scientific whaling' program there, have not lodged applications with the International Whaling Commission, have not issued permits, so there is nothing to challenge at this time.

It is very unlikely they would go that route, but it is open to them

[Larkspur]

18. I think in the North Pacific, they'd be too close to American and Russian shores

to do that. The Antarctic Ocean where they hunted only had Australia and New Zealand to contend with and neither sent a naval vessel to enforce the law. Antarctica itself has no sovereignty nor navy to defend it's waters. There is 1 island near the Antarctic continent held by the French, whose resident researchers were not friendly to the Japanese whalers.

So basically, Sea Shepherd was the navy of the whales and did their best to make whale hunting unprofitable.

And since the Russians no longer hunt whales in the North Pacific, I can't see the Japanese doing it either.

[denem]

22. If Japan had decided to renounce the Whaling Convention, and continue in Antarctica,

they would have to consider Sea Shepherd, the Australian navy and probably NZ would be have waiting for them, journalists onboard. Not a good look IMO.

[Larkspur]

14. They are still killing dolphins in Japan's waters

They went to the Southern Ocean because that is where the whales congregated in large enought groups to feed during the Southern Hemisphere's Summer. That made them easier to spot and kill.

Guess the whales are not as tight together in the open ocean as they are in this Sanctuary.

[catchnrelease]

21. Thanks!

Thanks to both Larkspur and denem for your replies. I hope you are both right and this is really the end of Japanese whaling. Now if the dolphin slaughter can be stopped.........

[BrotherIvan]

23. Such wonderful news!

I teared up reading it!