In a joint release, Australia's foreign and environmental ministers announced yesterday that early next week, "Australia will initiate legal action in the International Court of Justice in The Hague against Japanese 'scientific' whaling in the Southern Ocean."The twin goals, they said, are:
► in the shorter term, "to bring to an end Japan's program of so-called 'scientific' whaling" (prior IntLawGrrls posts here and here), and
► in the longer term, "to do what it takes to end whaling globally."
The decision comes after the failure to date of diplomatic efforts, not only with Japan on a bilateral plane, but also, on a multistate level, with member states of the International Whaling Commission (logo above left). Yesterday's release was notably pointed in its criticism of some in the latter group:
Recent statements by whaling countries in the Commission have provided AustraliaHow will the decision affect bilateral relations? The Australians said:
with little cause for hope that our serious commitment to conservation of the world's whales will be reflected in any potential IWC compromise agreement.
Both Australia and Japan have agreed that, whatever our differences on whaling, this issue should not be allowed to jeopardise the strength and the growth of our bilateral relationship.While a Japanese minister said upon hearing yesterday's announcement:
I do not wish to harm Japan-Australia relations over all, but I hope to assert that what’s wrong is wrong.
He did not mean to refer to his own country's practices.
