International New York Times

The International Court of Justice in The Hague rightly ordered Japan to stop its current whaling program in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary around Antarctica, a large reserve established by the International Whaling Commission. The United Nations’ highest court came down clearly on the side of conservation and international opinion.
The court ruled that Japan’s whaling is not scientific research and does not justify the number of whales killed. The suit, brought by Australia, showed that since 2005 there were only two peer-reviewed papers based on research of just nine killed whales. Meanwhile, some 3,600 minke whales have been killed since 2005. The court suggested that Japan’s whaling is commercial, and ordered it to revoke all scientific whaling permits.
The fight to protect the whales is not over because the ruling covers only the Southern Hemisphere. Japan continues to issue scientific permits for up to 200 minke whales, 100 sei whales, 50 Bryde’s whales and 10 sperm whales in the northern Pacific Ocean. Japan should cease whaling everywhere instead of waiting for the next international reprimand that is sure to come.

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