We'll send out the Navy to protect whales, says party leader
A whaling row has erupted in Australia - it might also erupt on the high seas...


Speaking on Radio Fiveaa in March of this year, Australia's Labor Party leader Kevin Rudd said in answer to a caller's question regarding his stance on whaling, and in particular Japan's alleged whaling activities:

"... I think Japan’s whaling practices are unacceptable. In my view they are in violation of international law and I believe that we need to take a completely robust approach with the Japanese in bringing this practice to a halt. I don’t think there is any scientific basis any longer to sustain what Japan describes as scientific whaling. I believe it’s not scientific whaling at all, it’s commercial whaling. And I think it needs to be brought to a stop. I think we’ve got to be robust about this and if the Japanese won’t listen to sense on this we’ve also got to look to ultimately taking appropriate international legal action against Japan as well in order to bring the spotlight of international opinion on what they’re doing."

Now however, he has beefed up his ideas of what exactly he means by 'robust'.

A Labor-led government, if they won this years elections, would, he says, send out Australian Navy ships to patrol Australia's waters and, if necessary, board Japanese whaling vessels to gather evidence to take Japan to international courts.

The policy is likely to be looked on favourably by many Australians, angered at Japan's activities in and near their waters. Japan insists it only catches whales for scientific purposes, but this claim is viewed by many as spurious.

However the Environment Minister Malcolm Turnbull described Rudd's plan as 'reckless'. He is concerned that if Australia's navy were to act outside Australian waters, it would be seen as an 'act of piracy'.

Speaking to Australia's Nine Network he said, "As far as Japan is concerned, they are international waters and they are entitled to freedom of navigation on the high seas."

He raised concerns over trade and that Japan may send out her own navy to escort the whaling vessels.

Mr Rudd defended the new policy, "There's been so many resolutions passed by the International Whaling Commission (IWC) in recent years expressing its outrage over Japan's so-called scientific whaling approach. Obviously that approach of international pressure through the IWC has not worked."

He said too that Australia had every right to police and defend her territorial waters.