Sea Shepherd Press Release: July 8, 2013

Sea Shepherd New Zealand supports Australian legal challenge to end commercial whaling

In 2008, an Australian court ordered an end to Japanese whale hunts in the Southern Ocean, yet Japan’s Institute of Cetacean Research (ICR) have continued to set a yearly quota for Minke, Fin and Humpback whales. In 2010, Australia launched a case to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, Netherlands to end the hunt as it violates the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling laws’ moratorium on commercial whaling. Since this moratorium was established in 1986, Japan has killed over 14, 000 whales under the ‘scientific research’ clause. The ICJ hearing began on June 26, 2013 and is expected to continue for three weeks.

A New Zealand legal team (Ms Penelope Jane Ridings as Agent and H.E. Mr. George Robert Furness Troup as Co-Agent) are supporting the Australian case and will be presenting a New Zealand perspective on July 8. Sea Shepherd representatives will be in attendance throughout the court proceedings. Sea Shepherd has been relentlessly defending whales in the Southern Ocean and has completed nine campaigns in the Southern Ocean to end the whale hunt. The Japanese self-imposed quota for the 2012-2013 season comprised of over 1000 whales although with Sea Shepherd’s direct intervention - only103 Minke whales were killed.

The Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary is an internationally recognised whale feeding grounds and protecting whales is the primary objective for Sea Shepherd. Sea Shepherd New Zealand’s National Coordinator Michael Lawry believes that “this court case has a credible chance in an international forum to end whaling in a protected whale sanctuary. If the whalers return to the Southern Ocean for another season – Sea Shepherd will be there to ensure that whales are able to continue their migratory journey”.

Sea Shepherd contact during the New Zealand presentation (Monday July 8th) is:
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