Japan may have said it will abide by an international court ruling banning its whale hunting but it seems that does not means it has given up on the idea.
Anti-whaling group Sea Shepherd said Japan had filed court briefs in the United States indicating it intends to return to hunting whales in Antarctic waters next year.
In a case brought by Australia the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled last month that Japan’s whaling program was not conducted for scientific research purposes.
In documents filed with the US District Court in Seattle, Japan’s Institute of Cetacean Research said it would return to the Southern Ocean in 2015-16 with a newly designed research program.
Sea Shepherd said Japan would also seek a permanent injunction against Sea Shepherd USA and other Sea Shepherd entities, adding that it is a blatant attempt to defy the ICJ ruling.
Japan’s whalers won an injunction against Sea Shepherd USA in 2012.
However, Sea Shepherd USA administrative director Susan Hartland said this latest legal bid was designed to stop the organisation’s Dutch and Australian arms, which were free to continue protesting.
Ms Hartland said the move was primarily designed to maintain pressure on the conservation organisation “to keep this temporary injunction on us and Sea Shepherd founder Captain Paul Watson”.
She said it was a disappointing development given Japan had promised to abide by the ICJ decision.
“We were really hoping that this ICJ ruling would give them an easy way out, so they could say ‘you know what, we’re not going to go back’,” she said.
“It’s really unfortunate that they’re really, really pushing this in defiance of the International Court of Justice.”
Further court hearings are expected next week.
Australian Greens Party whaling spokesman Senator Peter Whish-Wilson told ABC News the Japanese move was devastating, and he urged the Australian government to ensure Japan honoured the ICJ ruling.
Senator Whish-Wilson said conservative Liberal-National Prime Minister Tony Abbott must publicly declare that he would not accept a return to Southern Ocean whaling and would pursue all legal avenues to prevent it happening.
He said Mr Abbott had visited Japan last week without raising the whaling decision.
“While we’re celebrating deals with Japan on trade and other things, it’s a very good opportunity to be proactive and positive with the Japanese government and let them know that Australians do want better relationships with Japan, right across the board,” he said.
“But that will require them making a strong statement that they will not continue whaling in the Southern Ocean.”
In a statement, Environment Minister Greg Hunt told ABC News the government remained opposed to whaling.
He said based on the ICJ ruling, he did not expect the International Whaling Commission would approve further whaling.