UN court rules Japan’s scientific whaling must end

International Court Of Justice Rules Japan’s Scientific Whaling Must End

LONDON: The Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) today welcomed the UN’s International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling against Japan’s whaling in the Antarctic.

Australia took Japan to the ICJ in 2010, alleging it was intentionally taking advantage of a loophole in the 1986 commercial whaling ban by claiming it was killing the whales for scientific research. The Court ruled overwhelmingly in favour of Australia.

Clare Perry, head of EIA’s Cetaceans Campaign, today said: “This is an historic decision which lays to rest, once and for all, the grim travesty of Japan’s so-called ‘scientific’ whaling and exposes it to the world as the blatant falsehood it clearly is.

“For a long time it has been evident that ‘science’ has been abused at a breath-taking scale to justify Japan’s continued commercial hunting of protected whales and despite a heavily subsidised and ever-dwindling market for whale meat in Japan.

“With this ruling, Japan must clearly cease its whaling activities in the Antarctic. Next, the world needs to focus its attention on Japan’s whaling in the North Pacific, where it continues to issue permits to kill up to 500 whales annually in hunts using the same ‘scientific’ clause that has now been condemned beyond dispute by the international court.”

• Interviews are available on request; please contact Clare Perry via [email protected] or telephone +34 664 34 8821.

EDITORS’ NOTES

1. The Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) investigates and campaigns against environmental crime and abuses.

Environmental Investigation Agency
62-63 Upper Street
London N1 0NY
UK
www.eia-international.org
Tel: +44 207 354 7960

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