Greens Leader Bob Brown today urged the Australian government to at least conduct aerial surveillance of the Southern Ocean, after Japanese whalers doubled their hunting area.

"I spoke to the Japanese ambassador in Canberra yesterday, offering the opinion that this is criminal behaviour in the Australian Antarctic Territory," Senator Brown said.

Greens Leader Bob Brown will be dockside with the Sea Shepherd fleet before it leaves from Hobart for Antarctic waters today.

Senator Brown has written to the minister for the environment, Tony Burke, requesting an Australian naval presence to surveil Japanese whaling in Australia's Antarctic waters.

"Sea Shepherd are the champions for the whales and have massive public backing in Australia and elsewhere around the world. The least our government can do is provide footage so that the world can see what an ugly slaughter this is."

Letter:

2 December 2010

The Senate has referred the Australian Greens' Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Amendment (Prohibition of Support for Whaling) Bill 2010 to the Environment and Communications Legislation Committee for inquiry and report, which would make it a crime to provide support to whaling operations.

The Committee will now examine the Bill, which was introduced by the Greens in response to the use of air services based in Australia to assist whalers in their annual slaughter last summer.

Environment and Communications Legislation Committee Reference

Senator SIEWERT (Western Australia) (3.47 pm)—I move: That the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Amendment (Prohibition of Support for Whaling) Bill 2010 be referred to the Environment and Communications Legislation Committee for inquiry and report by the end of the Autumn sittings 2011.

Question agreed to.

The Senate has referred the Australian Greens' Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Amendment (Prohibition of Support for Whaling) Bill 2010 to the Environment and Communications Legislation Committee for inquiry and report.

The Committee will now examine the Bill, which was introduced by Greens Marine spokesperson Senator Rachel Siewert in response to the use of air services based in Australia to assist whalers in their annual slaughter last summer.

The Government says action in the International Court against Japanese whaling will 'take years' but has no action plan to prevent the slaughter in Antarctic waters this summer, said Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown. 

Senator Brown told the Senate that while Australia's government takes no action against the arrogant and disdainful Japanese whalers, two to ten thousand whales will be killed.

Senator SIEWERT (Western Australia) (5.32 pm)—It is interesting to read the minister’s statement that I understand he tabled yesterday in the House of Representatives. He is essentially trying to reassure Australia that the government and the minister are not asleep at the wheel on whaling and, ‘It’s okay; we’ve now made up our minds about what we are going to be doing.’

Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown said an international court case against Japan by the Australian Government would not stop Japanese whalers returning to the Southern Ocean next summer.

Senator Brown welcomed the announcement that Australia will prosecute Japan over whaling activities in the International Court of Justice, but questioned the timing.

"Japan's proposal for a resumption of commercial whaling will be debated at the International Whaling Commission meeting in Morocco next month.

Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown has criticized an Australian Marine Safety Authority report into the sinking of anti-whaling activist vessel Ady Gil.

The report makes no clear recommendation to legally pursue the captain of the Japanese whaler Shonan Maru 2 despite the Australian Government's ability to do so.

"Australia which had the last port of call for the Ady Gil has unfettered ability to pursue the captain of the Japanese whaler Shonan maru 2 which ran down the Ady Gil and nearly killed the 6 crewman aboard," said Senator Brown.

The Australian Greens say a Japanese warrant for the arrest of Sea Shepherd captain Paul Watson highlights just how little is being done by the Federal Government to combat whaling in the Southern Ocean.

“The Australian Government are sitting on their hands and doing nothing to pursue legal action against Japan as they promised at the last election,” Australian Greens Marine Spokesperson Senator Rachel Siewert said today.

“The last whaling season was one of the least productive for many years, but that came at a price.