September 18, 2014 — Japan has rejected an attempt by anti-whaling nations, including Australia, to clamp down on its controversial Antarctic "research" kill.
The Japanese Government confirmed its plans to go ahead with a new lethal hunt after losing a vote on a resolution from New Zealand to give the International Whaling Commission a greater role in issuing scientific permits.
The resolution, to translate an International Court of Justice decision outlawing Japan's last whaling program into guidelines for the new program, passed 35 votes to 20 at the IWC meeting on Thursday.
But Japan's IWC Commissioner Joji Morishita immediately said: "we will be submitting a new research plan in (the) Antarctic Ocean so that we can start from 2015".
"All these activities, as we have been arguing, (are) perfectly in line with international law, a scientific basis, as well as ICJ judgement language."
Australia claimed success with the passage of what it called a "very strong" resolution.