Source:
ReutersAustralia govt says will not monitor Japan whalersThu Nov 20, 2008 7:20pm EST
By Rob Taylor
CANBERRA (Reuters) - Australia will not send a
fisheries patrol ship this year to shadow Japanese
whalers and protests near Antarctica, the government
said on Friday, appealing for activists to keep high
seas protests peaceful.
As Japan's whaling fleet heads to the Southern Ocean
to hunt close to 1,000 minke and fin whales, Canberra
said it was pursing a diplomatic solution to Tokyo's
yearly research hunt after Japanese complaints last
season about the Australian patrol ship.
Environment Minister Peter Garrett said the ship had
already gathered photographic and video evidence of
the hunt to back a possible international legal
challenge to the cull, while this season's hunt would
be mostly in New Zealand patrol areas.
-snip-Garrett appealed to activists to keep this season's
protests peaceful, saying the hunt would take place
mostly in New Zealand's maritime rescue area of the
Ross Sea.
-snip-Read more:
http://www.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUSTRE4AK06D20081121