Today the Australian Greens are calling on Tony Abbott to make whaling a priority in his talks with Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. The conservative Prime Minister of New Zealand made his nation’s concerns over Japanese whaling a top media story during yesterday’s visit of the Japanese PM.
“Despite the recent victory in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) our whales in the Southern Ocean Sanctuary are not safe,” said Greens spokesperson for Whaling and Fisheries, Senator Peter Whish-Wilson.
“The Japanese PM has made it clear his nation wants to again pursue lethal, so-called ‘research’ on whales in the Southern Ocean.
“This is just commercial whaling in disguise and the Australian Greens are calling on Tony Abbott to make an absolute end to whaling and new co-operation in non-lethal research a top priority today in his discussions with PM Abe.
“After election promises to stand up for whales while in opposition, Tony Abbott and Greg Hunt have run dead on whaling since September.
“The Abbott Government has refused to raise concerns over Japan’s statements since the ICJ ruling about resuming whaling and Minister Hunt broke a long held election promise to monitor whaling in the Southern Ocean this past summer.
“Bilateral talks are not just about trade and the cruel slaughter of whales is a very important issue to Australians.
“The Abbott Government can send a strong message today by committing funding and resources to continuing non-lethal scientific whaling research in the Southern Ocean, and by directly inviting the Japanese PM to co-operate and participate in bilateral non-lethal scientific research,” Senator Peter Whish-Wilson concluded.
Greens spokesperson for Whaling and Fisheries, Senator Peter Whish-Wilson
