Japan intends to continue Antarctic whale hunt with new research program: Sea Shepherd

Updated

Anti-whaling group Sea Shepherd says Japan has filed court briefs in the United States indicating it intends to return to hunting whales in Antarctic waters next year.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled last month that Japan's whaling program was not conducted for scientific research purposes, in a case brought by Australia.

In documents filed with the US District Court in Seattle on Friday, Japan's Institute of Cetacean Research says it will return to the Southern Ocean in 2015-16 with a newly designed research program.

Sea Shepherd says Japan will also seek a permanent injunction against Sea Shepherd USA and other Sea Shepherd entities, adding that it is a blatant attempt to defy the international court ruling.

Japan's whalers won an injunction against Sea Shepherd USA in 2012.

However, Sea Shepherd USA administrative director Susan Hartland says this latest legal bid is designed to stop the organisation's Dutch and Australian arms, which were free to continue protesting.

Ms Hartland says the move is primarily designed to maintain pressure on the conservation organisation "to keep this temporary injunction on us and [Sea Shepherd founder] Captain Paul Watson".

She says it is a disappointing development given Japan had promised to abide by the ICJ decision.

"We were really hoping that this [ICJ] ruling would give them an easy way out, so they could say 'you know what, we're not going to go back'," she said.

"It's really unfortunate that they're really, really pushing this in defiance of the International Court of Justice."

Further court hearings are expected next week.

Greens whaling spokesman Peter Whish-Wilson says the news is devastating, and he is urging the Federal Government to ensure Japan honours the ICJ ruling.

Senator Whish-Wilson says Prime Minister Tony Abbott must publicly declare that he will not accept a return to Southern Ocean whaling and will pursue all legal avenues to prevent it happening.

He says Mr Abbott visited Japan last week without raising the whaling decision.

"While we're celebrating deals with Japan on trade and other things, it's a very good opportunity to be proactive and positive with the Japanese government and let them know that Australians do want better relationships with Japan, right across the board," he said.

"But that will require them making a strong statement that they will not continue whaling in the Southern Ocean."

In a statement, Environment Minister Greg Hunt has told the ABC the Government remains opposed to whaling.

He says based on the ICJ ruling, he does not expect the International Whaling Commission would approve further whaling.

Topics: whaling, conservation, environment, courts-and-trials, law-crime-and-justice, australia, japan

First posted