Australia: IFAW and whale watchers across Australia have joined in a protest rally in Sydney harbor last week against Japan’s decision to hunt the humpback whales as part of its scientific whaling programme.

The protests came close with the scheduled 58th annual meeting of the International Whaling Commission to be held on May 16 at St. Kitts and Nevis in the Caribbean. Currently, 70 countries are members to it along with India.

Representatives of the whale-watching industry besides others participated in the rally. A life-sized inflatable humpback whale and her calf accompanied a flotilla of vessels at Farm Cove.

Australia’s multi-million dollar whale-watching industry stands to lose, if Japan goes ahead with their plan next year. More than 1.5 million people go whale-watching each year, injecting close to $ 300 million into the economy.

The protesters have urged the Australian government to take a proactive role, even legal action if necessary against Japan’s decision which could adversely affect the industry.

The Charter Vessel Association of NSW head David Cribb representing the whale-watch operators said, “We have joined together to tell the government it is time for them to do more to protect our whales. They must take legal action against Japan to stop so-called ‘scientific whaling’.”

“Japanese whalers have already made a record catch of 863 whales this year and next year they will be taking the very humpbacks that we love and our industry relies upon”

IFAW Asia Pacific Director Mick McIntyre said, “Despite international condemnation Japan was killing more whales than ever.”

A fortnight ago, an IFAW report ‘Slaughter Science: the case against Japanese whaling in the Antarctic’ released by a group of International law experts proposed legal measures the Australian Government can take to end Japanese scientific whaling.

“This is commercial whaling in disguise which threatens the recovery of whale populations in our region. Diplomacy has failed. It is a clear case for legal action through the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS)” said McIntyre.

At last year’s IWC meeting in Korea, Australia and its anti-whaling allies, including the UK and New Zealand, won enough support to stop the moratorium from being lifted -29 votes to 23.

Japan must get a 75 per cent majority to overturn the ban but a simple majority would enable it to change procedure, making it easier to overturn the moratorium in future.