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| NZ slams Japan's whaling resumption plans |
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| Wednesday, 05 October 2011 01:30 | |||
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New Zealand has lashed out at the resumption of Japanese whaling in the Southern Ocean. Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully said Japan was "isolating itself from the international community" by deciding to resume whaling. "Japan's decision is increasingly out of step with international opinion. It is also entirely disrespectful of the strong concerns expressed by Australian and New Zealand people for whom the Southern Ocean is our neighbourhood," McCully said. Japan's Minister of Agriculture announced in Tokyo overnight that Japan would resume its Southern Ocean whaling programme over summer and that the fleet would have military security to protect it from the radical environment group Sea Shepherd which has promised to launch "Operation Divine Wind" or kamikaze against them. Last year Japan ended its whaling because of continued Sea Shepherd action. McCully said the NZ government had in "regular contact with the Japanese government" about whaling. "We have urged them not to return to the Southern Ocean this year. The whaling programme serves no useful purpose and deserves to be consigned to history," McCully said. "The programme's so-called 'scientific' purpose is highly dubious. There is not much appetite for whale meat on the Japanese market. The whaling fleet is getting old and requires increasing amounts of Government cash to keep it afloat." New Zealand had tried "very hard" to find a long term solution to whaling in the Southern Ocean. It was "a sad reality" that the resumption of Japanese whaling made it "much harder" for a diplomatic process to continue. McCully added he was "alarmed" by recent statements from the Sea Shepherd's Paul Watson "suggesting life threatening tactics" would be used this season. He was also worried by Japanese suggestions their fleets would be accompanied by undisclosed security measures. "The New Zealand Government has consistently urged all parties to act responsibly during the whaling season, and to avoid actions that may put their lives, or the lives of others, at risk or which may harm the Antarctic environment," McCully said. In Australia the decision to resume whaling has also angered with Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd telling The Age in Melbourne that it was particularly disappointed the whaling would occur in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary established by the International Whaling Commission. ''There is widespread concern in the international community at Japan's whaling program and widespread calls for it to cease,'' Mr Rudd said. Attorney-General Robert McClelland said Australia's decision to take legal action against Japan in May 2010 in the International Court of Justice was not taken lightly. ''Australia believes Japan's whaling is contrary to international law and should stop,'' he said. Japan normally tries to take 1000 whales each year in what it calls scientific research but faces further disruption from Sea Shepherd and his "Operation Divine Wind" campaign. "Operation Divine Wind", a reference to the Japanese word kamikaze, the name given to hundreds of World War Two suicide pilots, sailors and soldiers who attacked Allied forces in the Pacific. They were named after a "divine wind" that destroyed a Mongolian fleet attacking Japan in the 13th century. Watson has claimed his ships and crews are ready to attack the Japanese. "I do think that we are in for a very dramatic and adventurous three months beginning in December and I am confident that we will be able to stop them once again," he said on the group's Facebook page. He said the Japanese would have to kill the Sea Shepherd volunteers. "Are the Japanese people ready to take human lives in defence of this horrifically cruel and illegal slaughter of endangered and protected species of whales? "Do we have to die to appease Japanese honour? "If so, my answer to the Japanese government is 'hoka hey' (it's a good day to die), and we will undertake whatever risks to our lives will be required to stop this invasion of arrogant greed into what is an established sanctuary for the whales." They will have three ships in the region and Watson has called on Australia and New Zealand to send navy ships to monitor action. In previous seasons Sea Shepherd has managed to harass the whaling fleet, preventing it from whaling. Last year a New Zealander with Sea Shepherd, Peter Bethune, managed to board a whaler but was arrested by the crew and taken back to Tokyo where he was briefly jailed. Sea Shepherd says whaling makes little political or economic sense, but Japan now does not want to be "surrender to Sea Shepherd Conservation Society". Japan's in-debted whaling fleet was an economic burden "It is an insult to all the anti-whaling nations that so generously contributed to the relief of the tsunami and earthquake victims," said Watson. "They have accepted foreign aid to help the victims of that tragedy, and are now shifting funds to perpetuate this illegal and obscene massacre of defenceless whales in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary… It's a disgrace and a smack in the face to everyone who stepped forward to help in their time of need." Sea Shepherd says they will send over 100 volunteers to the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary to defend the whales. They say it will be the eighth year that Sea Shepherd has sent ships to Antarctica, saving over 800 whales in the last year's campaign. -Fairfax NZ
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