Blogging About Critters Since 2007

Thursday, November 15, 2007

Aussie Labour Party Opposes Japanese Whaling

Australia's Labour Party is talking tough about Japanese whaling in the Antarctic. The Labour Party is poised to win Australia's general election this weekend.

Labour's foreign affairs spokesman, Robert McClelland, said that under a Labour government Australian military aircraft would range across Antarctica, collecting data on the activities of the Japanese fleet.
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The information would be used to mount a challenge against Japan's annual whale hunt, which Tokyo claims is conducted for "scientific research".

Australia's new policy would not, however, involve the interdiction or apprehension of whaling vessels.

"We are going to use... military resources to monitor the activities of the whaling vessels," said Mr McClelland.

"What is important is getting evidence... as to what's going on and getting the facts that can actually be presented to an international tribunal to try to get rulings to stop this.

"That is going to be a really strong point of emphasis for a future Labour government."

Japan does not recognize an Australian-declared whale sanctuary in the Southern Ocean.


But Prime Minister John Howard's Liberal Party government say it's all political posturing.

..the foreign minister, Alexander Downer, dismissed Mr McClelland's declaration as a political stunt aimed at winning the election.

"It shows a complete lack of understanding of the legal status of Antarctica," Mr Downer said in a statement.


Photo by Greanpeace_Flor.

2 comments:

colinF said...

Excellent news - go Ozzie go!

We in New Zealand support you and it is great we Anzacs can fight on a war worth winning.

For too long Howard has failed to grasp the nettle on such issues and left New Zealand alone in the fight.

Now let us see the Anzac spirit win through!

Anonymous said...

As a new Australian voter I am looking forward to voting for a Government that is SERIOUS about putting an end to Japanese illegal whaling in the southern ocean.

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