In a landmark ruling, the International Court of Justice has banned Japan’s Antarctic whaling program.
According to SMH Australia, the court has concluded that under International Whaling Commission rules, Japan’s permits were not viewed as scientific research, and therefore illegal.
The court unanimously found it had jurisdiction to hear the case, and by 12 votes to four found that special permits granted by Japan in connection with the program, JARPA II, did not fall within the IWC convention.
It therefore ordered that Japan revoke any scientific permit under JARPA II and refrain from granting any further permits.
In January, Japan came under fire for their whaling program that killed over 200 dolphins. Australian animal rights protestors tweeted their excitement:
This is a truly historic decision & vindicates the decision our action. It means that so called scientific whaling is no more!
— Peter Garrett (@pgarrett) March 31, 2014
A whale of a win! Paul Watson is a global hero and Australians can all feel proud.
— Bob Brown (@BobBrownFndn) March 31, 2014
Russell Simmons also voiced his opinion against whaling in Taji, Japan. The animal abuse activist called on Japan to stop herding dolphins into coves where they were tortured or sold to captivity.
“Well the message is simple,” he said. “This kind of suffering should not be tolerated. These ‘abusement parks’ should be stopped. The meat is obviously poisonous, and the dolphins don’t deserve this…we should spread the word around the world. And that’s why I stand up for those dolphins and animal abuse all over the world.”
Finally, justice is finally being served for those who cannot speak for themselves!
SOURCE: SMH Australia | PHOTO CREDIT: Getty
