International Whaling Commission scientists slam new Japanese whaling program

SCIENTISTS on the International Whaling Commission’s Scientific Committee have slammed Japan’s resumption of illegal whaling in the Southern Ocean.

In an open letter published today in the journal Nature, 30 leading scientists condemned the new whale hunt which would see almost 4000 Antarctic minke whales killed over 12 years. 

Darren Kindleysides, Director of the Australian Marine Conservation Society (AMCS), said the letter speaking out about the hunt was testament to the lack of scientific justification for Japan’s whaling program.

“Right now the Japanese whaling fleet is hunting hundreds of Antarctic whales in the name of so-called scientific research," Mr Kindleysides said.

"Japan has resumed whaling despite the 2014 International Court of Justice ruling that Japan's previous Antarctic whaling program was illegal, and the 2015 findings by a panel of independent international legal experts that Japan’s new program again breached international law.

"Japan's new Antarctic whaling program is an outrageous attempt to get around the ruling by the International Court of Justice.

"When the scientists say it isn’t science and the international courts say it isn’t science, killing Southern Ocean whales for research simply can't be justified.

“Having failed both the tests of international law and science, the Australian Government must urgently act to put an end to Japan’s whaling.

“Japan must be held to account for once again illegally whaling in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary under the pretence of ‘scientific research’.

“We urge Australia and other governments to do all they can to persuade Japan to call off this hunt, and to actively consider options for further legal action against Antarctic whaling," he concluded.

www.amcs.org.au

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