Four governments jointly condemn Japan's "scientific" whaling program

The governments of New Zealand, Australia, the Netherlands and the United States on Tuesday issued a joint statement attacking Japan's renewed whaling in the Southern Ocean and calling for protesters and whalers to act safely during this year's whaling season.

The statement said the four governments jointly condemned any actions at sea that might cause injury, loss of human life or damage to property or the marine environment.

"The Southern Ocean can be a treacherous, remote and unforgiving environment. Its isolation and extreme conditions mean that search and rescue capability is extremely limited," it said.

"Dangerous, reckless, or unlawful behaviour jeopardizes not only the safety of whaling and protest vessels and their crews but also anyone who comes to their assistance."

It said the governments respected the right to freedom of expression, including through peaceful protests on the high seas, but they were prepared to respond to unlawful activity in accordance with relevant international and domestic laws.

The four governments remained resolutely opposed to commercial whaling, in particular in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary established by the International Whaling Commission (IWC).

"We do not believe Japan has sufficiently demonstrated that it has given due regard to the guidance found in the 2014 International Court of Justice judgment on ensuring that lethal research is consistent with the obligations under the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling," it said.

"The science is clear: all information necessary for management and conservation of whales can be obtained through non-lethal methods."

Last month, the New Zealand government led a joint diplomatic protest over Japan's decision to resume whaling in the Southern Ocean, delivering a formal message in Tokyo expressing the opposition of 33 countries, including the U.S., Australia, Mexico, South Africa and the EU member countries.

On Nov. 27, the Japanese government announced it would resume its Southern Ocean whaling program, with the whaling fleet departing on Dec. 1.

In March 2014, the International Court of Justice found that Japan's so-called "scientific" JARPA II whaling program was not for the purposes of scientific research and must cease.

The following September, the IWC passed a New Zealand resolution enshrining the International Court of Justice decision and imposing limits on future scientific whaling permits, requiring non-lethal alternatives to be considered for any approved scientific research on whales. Endit