The Humane Society International's Australian office recently received permission from Australia's Federal Court to proceed with a court case against a Japanese company that allegedly hunts whales in waters designated by Australia as a whale sanctuary.
On July 14, the court overturned a decision made by a judge the previous year that prohibited HSI from suing the Japanese whaling company Kyodo Senpaku Kaisha, Ltd. on diplomatic grounds. HSI appealed the ruling and, with the court's latest decision, can now proceed with a lawsuit against the company.
Despite an international ban on commercial whaling that went into effect in 1986, Japan continues to kill whales under a "scientific" loophole in the International Whaling Commission treaty, and then sells the whale meat commercially. HSI's lawsuit alleges that in violation of international agreement and Australian domestic law, the Japanese company has killed hundreds of whales in the Australian Whale Sanctuary.
HSI estimates that the Japanese company that conducts this whaling has killed over 850 whales in these waters since they were designated as a sanctuary in July 2000.
The next hearing is schedule for July 2007.
Updated Feb. 28, 2007
