NRDC 3-31-14… “Japan’s Whaling Harpooned by the International Court of Justice”

NRDC 3-31-14… “Japan’s Whaling Harpooned by the International Court of Justice”

Posted on 2014/03/31 by kauilapele

This is quite big, folks!!! Thanks to whoever posted this on Facebook…
[Update 2047 HST: Another article also appeared on the Sea Shepherd website. Snips below.]
“Sea Shepherd Applauds the World Court for Protecting the Whales of the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary
“In a stunning victory for the whales, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague announced their binding decision today in the landmark case of Australia v. Japan, ruling that Japan’s JARPA II whaling program in the Antarctic is not for scientific purposes and ordering that all permits given under JARPA II be revoked. The news was applauded and celebrated by Sea Shepherd Conservation Society USA and Sea Shepherd Australia, both of which have directly intervened against Japanese whalers in the Southern Ocean.
“Representing Sea Shepherd in the courtroom to hear the historic verdict were Captain Alex Cornelissen, Executive Director of Sea Shepherd Global and Geert Vons, Director of Sea Shepherd Netherlands. They were accompanied by Sea Shepherd Global’s Dutch legal counsel… (read more)

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Japan’s Whaling Harpooned by the International Court of Justice
Natural Resources Defense Council
Today the UN International Court of Justice ruled that Japan’s whaling program in the Antarctic is illegal.
Even after the International Whaling Commission (IWC) banned commercial whaling, Japan has continued to kill whales – and sell the meat for profit – by exploiting a loophole in the convention that allows countries to take whales “for purposes of scientific research.”  Today’s decision finds in no uncertain terms that Japan’s hunt was NOT “for purposes of scientific research” and therefore in violation of international law and the IWC’s ban on commercial whaling.
This is a huge victory for whale conservation.  The landmark ruling means that thousands of whales will no longer be slaughtered under the guise of science.  It also means that whales will once again be safe in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary.
In a vote of 12 to 4, the court ruled that there were several aspects of Japan’s “scientific whaling” program – which has killed thousands of whales since its inception – that cast doubt “on its characterization as a programme for purposes of scientific research.”  Those factors include the fact Japan did not consider using non-lethal methods; the scale of Japan’s program and number of whales taken; the open-ended time frame of the program; its limited scientific output to date; and the lack of cooperation between Japan and other domestic and international research programs in the Antarctic Ocean.
The court then ordered Japan to revoke all permits and “license[s] to kill” in the Antarctic and refrain from granting any new permits.  The decision is final, with no possibility of appeal.
Commendably, Japan has said that it will abide by the decision.
This is a historic ruling that will revitalize our ongoing efforts to save the whales.  There are only three countries that still kill whales for commercial purposes – Japan, Iceland, and Norway.  Today’s decision sets the legal bar that there is no place for commercial whaling in the 21st Century.  Now is the time to end commercial whaling once and for all.

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