Gathering data ... a Japanese whaling ship with a subject for research.
Photo: Reuters
Stephanie PeatlingNovember 17, 2008
THE Federal Government will spend $6 million on a whale research program which it hopes will debunk Japan's claims that whales need to be killed in order to be studied.
"Modern-day research uses genetic and molecular techniques, as well as satellite tags, acoustic methods and aerial surveys, rather than grenade-tipped harpoons," the Minister for the Environment, Peter Garrett, said.
The money will be announced today as part of the preparation for Australia's participation in the next round of International Whaling Commission talks, to be held next month.
The program will be called the Southern Ocean Research Partnership and be Australia's attempt to bring together anti-whaling countries under the banner of research....
..."The investment is about debunking once and for all the need to kill whales in the name of science and providing capacity to support non-lethal research partnerships, as well as promoting the economic value of whale-watching," Mr Garrett said....
...Last week, the respected Japanese newspaper, Asahi Shimbun, reported that the Antarctic minke whale quota would be reduced from 850 to 700 this summer, the first reduction in more than 20 years.
Opponents of Japanese whaling cited the figures as evidence that the struggling industry is in retreat.
