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When it comes to killing whales Japan cares not for international law

Japan rejects international court jurisidiction over whaling: From Sydney Morning Herald in October

"Japan has moved suddenly to fence itself off from any future challenge to its Antarctic whaling in the International Court of Justice.

After its last whaling program was ruled illegal by the court in a case brought by Australia, its latest plan to restart whaling within weeks has come under strong scientific attack.

Now the Japanese government has told United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon in a special declaration that it will take a sweeping exception to the court's jurisdiction.

It says the court's jurisdiction "does not apply to ... any dispute arising out of, concerning, or relating to research on, or conservation, management or exploitation of, living resources of the sea".

The declaration was made by Japan's ambassador to the UN, Motohide Yoshikawa​, earlier this month, and disclosed in Australian political circles on Sunday night.

Under the latest whaling plan, called NEWREP-A, Japan intends to kill nearly 4000 minke whales over the next 12 years, beginning with 330 this summer.

"It would appear that Japan has taken some pre-emptive steps to ensure NEWREP-A cannot be challenged before the ICJ," Don Rothwell, a professor of international law at Australian National University, said."



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