2015-11-30
Just as the Australian Government was struggling in the Senate to answer basic questions about what they will do to prevent Japan undertaking commercial whaling in the Southern Ocean, Japan announced that their whalers will be leaving port tomorrow, the 1st of December.
Greens spokesperson for whaling, Senator Peter Whish-Wilson, said, “Despite every possible warning, the Government has been caught with its pants down over Japan’s intention to continue whaling.
“Despite Japan presenting a new plan to the International Whaling Commission, despite walking away from the International Court of Justice, despite the Japanese Fisheries Minister saying they will not stop whaling, the Australian government has somehow pretended this day would never come.
“The Greens warned the Government about this. We urged them to ramp up the diplomacy and to prepare for all legal contingencies. But the Government sat idle.
“The Government has no choice now but to immediately condemn the Japanese Government and to send the ice-rated ACV Ocean Shield to the Southern Ocean to collect evidence against this ongoing criminal whaling by Japan,” he concluded.