2016-08-30
Sea Shepherd are launching their latest anti-whaling campaign, Operation Nemesis, in Perth today.
Senator Whish-Wilson said, “I wish the Sea Shepherd crews all the best in their battles against the whalers this summer. Whaling in the Southern Ocean is abhorrent, unnecessary and has been found illegal under Australian and international law.
“The Australian Government needs to send a message to Japan that they too will be standing up to this ongoing illegal activity in their waters. Last Summer, Japan killed 333 minke whales largely in the Australian Whale Sanctuary off the coast of the Australian Antarctic Territory and the Liberal Government did nothing.
“The Liberal Government is clearly letting Japan breach international law right under our noses. Never in recent memory has an Australian Government taken such a weak position on a foreign government impeding on our interests in clear breach of the law.
“Sea Shepherd does an amazing job in stopping the whale slaughter but they wouldn’t need to be risking their own lives to protect the whales if the Australian Government had firmly stood against Japan.
“I am calling on the Australian Government to issue a warning to Japan that if it continues the illegal whaling Australia will send a surveillance vessel to the Southern Ocean and restart legal proceedings in an appropriate international forum,” he concluded.