The International Court of Justice on Monday ordered a temporary halt to Japan's Antarctic whaling program, ruling that it is not for scientific purposes as Japan had claimed.

Australia had sued Japan at the U.N.'s highest court in hopes of ending whaling in the icy Southern Ocean. Australia, which said Japan has slaughtered more than 10,000 whales since 1988, insisted that the Japanese program was a thinly disguised commercial exploit under the cover of scientific research.

Japan had argued that Australia's suit was an attempt to force its cultural norms on Japan. The court ultimately ordered Japan to halt any issuing of whaling permits until the program has been revamped.

Despite accusations that Tokyo was exploiting a legal loophole in the ban, Japan insisted its program was scientific, while admitting that the resulting meat ended up on plates back home. Though consumption of whale meat has declined in popularity in Japan in recent years, it is still considered a delicacy by some.

Reading a 12-4 decision by the court's 16-judge panel, Presiding Judge Peter Tomka of Slovakia said Japan's program failed to justify the large number of minke whales it aimed to catch under its current Antarctic program — 850 annually.

"The evidence does not establish that the program's design and implementation are reasonable in relation to achieving its stated objectives," Tomka said.

Japan responded to the ruling, saying that it was "disappointed," but said it would "abide by the judgment."

Japan also took a dig at the International Whaling Commission (IWC), the global body charged with the management of whaling: "Despite the deep divisions within the commission and its inability in recent years to function effectively, Japan has stayed within the commission and tried to find generally acceptable solutions to the commission’s problems."

The decision is a major victory for Australia and environmental groups that oppose whaling on ethical grounds, though it will not mean the end of whaling.

Norway and Iceland have commercial whaling programs in spite of a 1986 IWC moratorium, which both countries have rejected. Japan also has a second, smaller program in the northern Pacific.

Nevertheless, environmental groups rejoiced at the ruling, saying that it would increase pressure on Iceland and Norway to end their respective programs.

"I think it will increase pressure on those two countries to re-examine their own whaling practices and the various reasons and pretexts given for that whaling activity," said Patrick Ramage, director of the International Fund for Animal Welfare's whale program.

Pete Bethune, founder of the New Zealand-based marine conversation group Earthrace Conservation said, "I am absolutely thrilled. Today will go down in history as a great day for whales, for conservation and for justice."

Al Jazeera and wire services