[Greens-Media] Senate urges immediate action on whaling

[Norton, Tim (Sen R. Siewert)]

Senate urges immediate action on whaling
Wednesday 26th November 2008

The Government has a responsibility to act with urgency to stop Japanese
whaling operations, said the Australian Greens today.

"Yesterday, the Senate passed my motion calling on the Government to set
a timetable for the commencement of international legal action and also
to send a vessel down to monitor the Japanese whaling activity," said
Australian Greens Senator Rachel Siewert.

"Australians do not want another summer to go by with hundreds of whales
slaughtered under the guise of Japanese 'scientific research."

"Minister Garrett has been quick to defend the Government's inaction on
whaling, saying he only promised to give 'careful and serious
consideration to the options for potential legal action'. How many more
years do the Australian public have to wait for the Ministers'
decision?"

"The Rudd Government have still not delivered on their pre-election
promise to support a legal case being undertaken by the Human Society
International (HSI), and with no Government vessels being sent down to
monitor the whaling fleet, it will be left to NGO's to stand up to this
slaughter," said Senator Siewert.

"Diplomacy will not save any whales this summer, just as it has failed
in the last few years," she concluded.

Senator Siewert's motion is included below.

That the Senate:
1.) Notes that in January 2008, the Human Society International secured:
a. A ruling from the Australian Federal Court that Japanese whaling in
Australia's Whale Sanctuary in Antarctica is illegal;
b. An order that it be stopped.
2.) Notes that the Australian Government has taken no action to enforce
this ruling
3.) Urges the Australian Government to:
a. set a timeline for legal proceedings in an international court to
stop illegal Japanese whaling if Japan does not commit to stopping
whaling by 8 December 2008;
b. Send a vessel into the Southern Ocean to monitor Japanese whaling
operations for the 08/09 whaling season.

For more information or media enquiries please call Tim Norton on 0418
401 180