This article is from the source 'nytimes' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/01/world/europe/united-nations-court-rules-against-japan-in-whaling-dispute.html
The article has changed 7 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| U.N. Court Orders Japan to Halt Antarctic Whaling | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| PARIS — The United Nations’ highest court on Monday ordered Japan to halt its annual whaling hunt in the Southern Ocean around Antarctica, saying that its present program was not being carried out for scientific purposes, as Japan has claimed. | PARIS — The United Nations’ highest court on Monday ordered Japan to halt its annual whaling hunt in the Southern Ocean around Antarctica, saying that its present program was not being carried out for scientific purposes, as Japan has claimed. |
| In a 12-to-4 judgment, the International Court of Justice in The Hague found that Japan was in breach of its international obligations by catching and killing minke whales and issuing permits for hunting humpback and fin whales within the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary, established by the International Whaling Commission. | In a 12-to-4 judgment, the International Court of Justice in The Hague found that Japan was in breach of its international obligations by catching and killing minke whales and issuing permits for hunting humpback and fin whales within the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary, established by the International Whaling Commission. |
| Reading a summary of the judgment, presiding Judge Peter Tomka of Slovakia said that the present “research program,” dating to 2005, has involved the killing of 3,600 minke whales and a number of fin whales, but that its “scientific output to date appears limited.” The ruling suggested instead that Japan’s whaling hunt served political and economic reasons. | |
| The court left open the possibility for future whale hunting if Japan redesigned its program. Tokyo has said that it needs data to monitor the impact of whales on its fishing industry and to monitor the whale population’s recovery from overfishing. | The court left open the possibility for future whale hunting if Japan redesigned its program. Tokyo has said that it needs data to monitor the impact of whales on its fishing industry and to monitor the whale population’s recovery from overfishing. |
| Australia brought the suit against Japan in 2010, accusing the country of using a loophole to get around a 1986 worldwide moratorium on whaling. | Australia brought the suit against Japan in 2010, accusing the country of using a loophole to get around a 1986 worldwide moratorium on whaling. |
| The ruling drew immediate praise from environmental groups, including the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, which has sent fast ships to the remote and icy waters to block and harass Japan’s whaling fleet. | The ruling drew immediate praise from environmental groups, including the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, which has sent fast ships to the remote and icy waters to block and harass Japan’s whaling fleet. |
| “We are very happy with the backing of the International Court,” Geert Vons, a representative of Sea Shepherd, said after leaving the court. “We had never expected such a strong ruling, telling Japan to cancel all of its Southern Ocean licenses.” | |
| The court also suggested that Japan reconsider a second so-called scientific program in the northern Pacific, but the present case focused only on the Southern Hemisphere. |