Rudd urged to send warships after whalers

Rudd urged to send warships after whalers
By Daniel Pace
November 27, 2007 06:25pm

SEA Shepherd founder Paul Watson has urged the incoming Rudd Government to honour its pre-election promise and send a warship to monitor the Japanese whaling fleet headed for the Southern Ocean.

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Speaking before a presentation at Griffith University on the Gold Coast today, Capt Watson said the newly-elected Labor Government needed to take responsibility in trying to stop the Japanese fleet.

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"We're hoping that the new Labor Government will send Australian naval vessels down there to monitor their illegal activities," Capt Watson said. "Japan is targeting an endangered species in a whale sanctuary in violation of a global moratorium. That's like poaching elephants for ivory. It's a crime."

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"By Japan targeting humpbacks, what they're really doing is slapping Australia in the face," Capt Watson said. "They're saying: `We're going to go down there and do whatever we want and your Government doesn't have the guts to stop us'. All it would take to end Japanese whaling is for Australia to demand that they get out of the Australian Antarctic Territory and back that up by sending a navy vessel down there."