26/01/2005 - A Federal
Court action against Japanese whaling operations
has the potential to be counter-productive
in the fight against whaling, the Minister
for Environment and Heritage, Senator Ian
Campbell said today.
Last year the Humane Society International
(HSI) initiated proceedings in the Federal
Court against a Japanese whaling company
with regard to its alleged activities in
the waters off Australia's Antarctic Territory
(AAT).
While Australia's submission to the Federal
Court does not support the court action,
the Government's stand against commercial
whaling remains firm.
Senator Ian Campbell said the Government
strongly supported the HSI's objectives
in seeking a permanent ban on whaling practices,
but did not view the Australian courts as
an appropriate vehicle through which to
attempt to address the issue.
"Australia is an active and committed
member of the Antarctic Treaty and notes
that it is for each Treaty Party to regulate
the activities of their nationals on the
Antarctic continent and its surrounding
waters," Senator Campbell said.
"Our record in the fight to ban the
harsh and cruel practice of commercial whaling
is well documented and we don't intend to
give up now."
Senator Campbell said Australia would continue
to work within the International Whaling
Commission (IWC), maintaining its vigorous
opposition to commercial and so-called scientific
whaling.
Scientific whaling is not prohibited by
the 1946 International Convention for the
Regulation of Whaling and Japan continues
to exploit a loophole which allowed member
countries to hunt whales by granting permits
for lethal research.
"Australia, on the other hand, is
a world leader in developing scientifically
robust non-lethal research methodologies,"
he said.
The next IWC meeting will be held in Ulsan,
Korea, June 20 to 24 2005.
