PM's shot across whalers' bows

PM's shot across whalers' bows

www.smh.com.au

THE Prime Minister has raised the stakes over whaling on the eve of a visit by the Japanese Foreign Minister, Katsuya Okada, warning Tokyo to end its hunt or face court.

Kevin Rudd said yesterday that if Japan did not agree to reduce its Antarctic catch to zero, Australia would go to the International Court of Justice by November, before the next whaling season.

''We have put ourselves onto a timeline, we're working it through with the Japanese, but if they don't come at this agreement to reduce to zero, we will initiate that action,'' Mr Rudd told Channel Seven.

[edit on 19-2-2010 by Maybe...maybe not]

G'day

As a development of the Japanese whaling issue south of Australia.....

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has vowed he is going to "get tough" with the Japanese.

However Kevin said that 3 years ago.....then again 2 years ago.....then again 1 year ago.....then again the other day.....

I don't believe he will do anything because he will be too scared too upset our trade & therefore our financial relationship with Japan.

On the 0.1% chance that Kevin does do something, I don't believe the international laws can be effective.

The issue will be deemed to be outside the scope of existing laws.....

.....or the Japanese will ignore those laws

.....or the Japanese will simply say Kevin can "take a hike" because they don't recognise the waters in which they are killing whales as Australian waters.

I believe the only people taking any practical steps to stop whales being killed are the Sea Shepherd team......love 'em or hate 'em!

Kind regards
Maybe...maybe not

www.smh.com.au
(visit the link for the full news article)

[edit on 19-2-2010 by Maybe...maybe not]

This should be interesting.

He's either going to have to prove to the ICJ that the International Whaling Commission is no longer valid, and thus should be overridden OR get the ICJ to suddenly recognize Australia's sovereignty over it's claimed Antarctic territories.

Neither of which is likely. My guess is he's hoping for an injunction for the case to be heard, but this seems like such a long shot I'm not sure they'd even go that far.

Originally posted by vox2442
This should be interesting.
He's either going to have to prove to the ICJ that the International Whaling Commission is no longer valid, and thus should be overridden OR get the ICJ to suddenly recognize Australia's sovereignty over it's claimed Antarctic territories.
Neither of which is likely. My guess is he's hoping for an injunction for the case to be heard, but this seems like such a long shot I'm not sure they'd even go that far.

G'day vox2442

My guess is that Kevin is trying to look like he's doing something about this, prior to calling an early election.

He's doing this because he's copping a beating for breaking his earlier promises to do something about it.

That's his modus operandi.

I don't think he cares about whales one tiny bit.

Kind regards
Maybe...maybe not

While our PM has shown himself to be spineless and lacking in action on many occasions, maybe this issue will show a different side to him. After all, this is a Federal Election year. The time is running out for him to hold his arms, legs and head firmly attached to the fence!

I have said in the past that this "Whaling" issue has the potential to ruin relationships between Australia and Japan. Maybe even lead to a military conflict later down the track.

While an exaggeration at this stage, the thought of 127m+ Japanese supporting the invasion of a land much bigger than their own with many natural resources is not comforting.

Kev is as weak as piss...

No Aussie leader will ever take it to those whaling bastards - they are gutless, and scared of the repercussions from Japan (amongst others).

Hope of Australian politics went with Peter Garrett essentially selling out, and going 100% against his own principals. Midnight Oil and all they stood for - gone for the art of money. Very sad really.

Aussie pollies are less than puppets, and really pander to 'those with the agenda'. And don't they know it.

reply to post by Dark Ghost


G'day Dark Ghost

I think Rudd will just make more empty promises.

I don't think Japan will push things into a military confrontation because that would certainly turn international focus onto their appalling whaling practices.

Kind regards
Maybe...maybe not

reply to post by watchZEITGEISTnow


G'day WZN

I agree Rudd is "weak as ----".

I don't agree that Garrett was ever any hope for anything, let alone for being a positive political force.

.....& I was a HUGE "Oils" fan!

Kind regards
Maybe...maybe not

Hopefully, things will be different this time around. There seems to be growing pressure on Rudd to make a fair dinkum stand again the Japanese Whalers. I kind of hope this blows up into something much bigger in order to draw the worlds attention to it.

The only good whalers played with Bob Marley!

Yeah I know it's really 'Wailers'... but I couldn't resist!

IRM

Kevin Rudd hard at work battling the whalers.....

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/ddd4c01b72dd.jpg[/atsimg]

[edit on 20-2-2010 by Maybe...maybe not]

The Australian government could care less what happens to the American Sea Shepherd team or the whales.

This is just election year politics to draw attention from problems in Australia

Things like there Internet filtering/censorship, there economy and Australian troops in Afghanistan.

The US politicians have a history of pulling the same tricks to deflect the public form real problems.

Nothing will really change.

Im writing this response just in case theres an Australian poli reading this forum (which i doubt ) why doesnt Australian fisho's RAKE the oceans off japan with nets and then nick off to the safety of Australian waters and see how japan acts and see what they do? im sure they WONT pussy foot around like Australia does with them.

Another way Australia can stop this whale of a problem is to have the HMAS already in Antartica lets say a few patrol ships ( like they do with illegal fishing NW Australia- illegal fishing boats from indonesia) arrest the captain and confiscate the ship, compound it for the duration of the sentance of the captain, then when he gets out the captain is given command of the ship again.

IF the ship is caught again whaling the captain goes free and the Aust navy gets a new target! and the destruction of the ship is reported in the WORLD WIDE news and not just in japan.

$10 says they wont do it.

[edit on 21-2-2010 by ST SIR 86]

Originally posted by vox2442
This should be interesting.

He's either going to have to prove to the ICJ that the International Whaling Commission is no longer valid, and thus should be overridden OR get the ICJ to suddenly recognize Australia's sovereignty over it's claimed Antarctic territories.

The ICJ has no power to overturn the Antartic treaty, which currently governs the many claims of sovereignty in Antartica. Australi has a claim, yes, but so do other countries and not a single one is recognised. It also has no power to limit whale hunting.

Not quite sure he expects to accomplish at the ICJ to be honest, as there are no "international laws" being broken.

EDIT: I also doubt sanctions would be effective, as both countries are members of the WTO and sanctions must be bloody well justified otherwise you could find Oz under the spotlight and copping the flak.

[edit on 21/2/10 by stumason]

Originally posted by ST SIR 86
Im writing this response just in case theres an Australian poli reading this forum (which i doubt ) why doesnt Australian fisho's RAKE the oceans off japan with nets and then nick off to the safety of Australian waters and see how japan acts and see what they do? im sure they WONT pussy foot around like Australia does with them.

What Australian waters are being "fished", for want of a better word?

Originally posted by ST SIR 86
Another way Australia can stop this whale of a problem is to have the HMAS already in Antartica lets say a few patrol ships ( like they do with illegal fishing NW Australia- illegal fishing boats from indonesia) arrest the captain and confiscate the ship, compound it for the duration of the sentance of the captain, then when he gets out the captain is given command of the ship again.

IF the ship is caught again whaling the captain goes free and the Aust navy gets a new target! and the destruction of the ship is reported in the WORLD WIDE news and not just in japan.

$10 says they wont do it.

What jurisdiction would this be under? These hunts are not in Australian waters, so the RAN would be effectively committing piracy.

these hunts are going on in the whale santuarie in antartica in the part that australia claimed not only that but they have been caught 200km
insid australian waters hunt whales

The only way that Kevin Rudd will ever take on the Japanese whaling is if all of us Aussies force him to do it. We've let him off the hook ( or the harpoon ) for three years now. If we continue to keep letting him off without any action... then like anyone... he'll just never get around to doing what he doesn't really want to do.
Any thoughts on how we Aussies can force him to follow up his empty words with some action this time?

reply to post by ST SIR 86


Key word here being "claimed". But as Australia has signed the ATS, then all claims, both past and future, are not recognised until the treaty expires in 2048. Until then, you can moan and whine about it "being in your waters" but it isn't.

I am not sure why people are having such a difficult time in understanding this.

The area this "sanctuary" resides in is international waters, it isn't Australian terrirotory and the "Whale Sanctuary" itself is not recognised outside Australia. It is a political quirk designed to score points with the green crowd at home.