Whaling deplored in wake of Sea Shepherd photos

AUSTRALIA – Australia’s Environment Minister Josh Frydenberg has criticised Japan for whaling in Antarctica.

Frydenberg said the Australian government was “deeply disappointed” that Japan had resumed whaling.

In a statement, he said that Australia was “opposed to all forms of commercial and so-called “scientific whaling”.

“It is not necessary to kill whales in order to study them,” he said. “We will continue our efforts in the International Whaling Commission to strongly oppose commercial whaling and so-called ‘scientific’ whaling, uphold the moratorium on commercial whaling, and to promote whale conservation.”

His comments come after the Sea Shepherd group took photos and video of a dead minke whale on board a Japanese whaling research ship this week..

Sea Shepherd said the protected minke whale was harpooned in Australian waters and has urged the Government to take immediate action.

Frydenberg’s opposition counterpart Tony Burke also issued a statement, criticising the “slaughter under the guise of ‘scientific research’.”

“Japanese whaling ships have been sighted with their harpoons uncovered in the Southern Ocean, where a moratorium on whaling in currently in effect,” he said.

“This is happening in areas Australia recognises as being protected.”

The furore comes just after Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe met with his Australian counterpart Malcolm Turnbull in Sydney over the weekend.

Managing director of Sea Shepherd Jeff Hansen said the government’s response is not good enough.

“Disappointment isn’t going to cut it,” he said of Minister Frydenberg’s response.

“The Australian government promised action for the whales – in opposition they said there was blood in the water and a blind eye in Canberra.

“Now we have this whale being killed in the Australian-Antarctic sanctuary and the Australian government is silent.”

Hansen reiterated figures from a poll in December 2015 that found 80 per cent of Australians wanted a customs ship sent to the Southern Ocean to monitor Japan’s whaling fleet.

“The Australian people want action, and in the absence of that they’re left with Sea Shepherd but it shouldn’t be left up to us,” he said.

“The Australian Government needs to come clean and do the job that they should be doing, defending the whales in the southern ocean whale sanctuary.

“Chances are there’s been a lot more whales being killed.”

- ABC