We Support the Ruling by the International Court of Justice and Welcome the Halt of Research Whaling

The International Court of Justice in The Hague ruled that Japan's research whaling in the Antarctica (JARPA II) is not meeting the objectives of scientific research stipulated in Article 8 of the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling, in the case lodged by Australia challenging the scientific validity of Japan's research whaling.

We welcome the court's ruling, and would like to add, and strongly emphasize the point, that the initial objective of the research whaling, which was to restart commercial whaling, is now totally lacking foundation as Japanese companies already have declared to withdraw from the business.?

Considering the implementing body of the whaling, the Institute of Research Whaling, is also going bankrupt, restarting commercial whaling in the Antarctica cannot be viable, and we hope, whether research or not, no whaling will be conducted in the Antarctic seas ever again.?