Rudd's stand on whaling is "piracy," says Howard Govt.

[depakid]

In reality of course, it's visionary- and we're going to see a lot of this sort of thing as more and more fisheries collapse in the coming decade(s). The Japanese are the pirates (or poachers) in this case- and the Ozzie Navy needs to put a stop to it.
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THE pledge of the Opposition Leader, Kevin Rudd, to use the navy to intercept Japanese whaling ships in the 200 nautical mile exclusive economic zone declared off the Australian Antarctic Territory amounts to piracy and would fuel a dangerous nationalist backlash in Japan, the Government says.

The Minister for the Environment, Malcolm Turnbull, accused Mr Rudd of "flicking the switch to vaudeville" by proposing what he, as a former diplomat, knew would be a provocative move that would inflame extremist reaction in Japan.

"What do you think the Japanese reaction would be if one of their vessels was boarded and the crew arrested?" Mr Turnbull told the Herald. "What Rudd is suggesting we do with the navy is ridiculous. This is extremely reckless and would put us in a situation where we were in breach of international law and risking serious escalation."

Mr Rudd stood by his plan yesterday, saying that the many resolutions passed by the International Whaling Commission in recent years expressing outrage over Japan's "scientific whaling" had failed and that Australia needed to look at a new approach to block Japan.

Japan is expected to resume full-scale scientific whaling soon after the federal election, targeting 850 Antarctic minke whales, 50 fin whales and for the first time, 50 humpback whales.

More: http://www.smh.com.au/news/whale-watch/rudd-stand-on-whaling-is-piracy-says-turnbull/2007/05/20/1179601244365.html

[Liberal Veteran]

1. Scientific whaling?

I wonder if I could rob a bank and call it "scientific financing"?

[Kagemusha]

2. It is piracy, some just think that it's a great idea. Old is new again.

If you want the Japanese to be poachers, get an enforceable legal ban on whale hunting again. Seriously - please do. It's better than piracy. Really it is.

[Dead_Parrot]

3. But we NEED piracy!

[Nihil]

4. The Japanese (& Icelanders) are already poachers who disregard the law.

Playing dumb political games with the law is simply wasting time
as none of the whalers give a monkey's **** about it anyway.

It has got to the stage where hard measures are not only necessary
but long overdue.

"Piracy"? Only if the enforcers are allowed to make the whalers
walk the plank!
:evilgrin:

[One_Life_To_Give]

5. Meaningless Grandstanding

Australia will not do anything to deny any ship the right of "Innocent Passage." Australia is far too dependent on shipping that would be adversely affected by any restrictions placed on the Right of Innocent Passage as defined in International Treaty.