WEEKLY GROSS-OUT: Whaling

Japan is defending its whale hunting in the Southern Ocean, following New Zealand's fourth visit to The Hague supporting Australia's action against the country's whaling. Attorney-General Chris Finlayson presented to the International Court of Justice in the Netherlands last night in what is the third and final week of Australia's court battle against Japanese whaling. The Australian Government wants the 16-judge panel to ban Tokyo's annual hunt on the basis it is not "for purposes of scientific research" as allowed under Article Eight of the 1946 International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling. They should ban it because in a series of cruel and heartless acts, Japan has killed more than 14,000 whales in the name of science since 1986, most of those in the Southern Ocean. The nation is defending its research programme, which is just a lie to cover up their greedy and money-hungry ways. Commercial whaling, whether conducted openly or under the guise of science, is a cruel and outdated practice which produces no science of value. The court's decision will be important not only for whales in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary, but for future compliance with all multilateral environmental agreements.