The International Whaling Commission (IWC) is adopting New Zealand’s proposal to require countries that want to kill whales for so-called research to show why non-lethal methods were not an option.  The move throws a roadblock in front of Japan’s drive to return to whaling during the 2015-16 season.

The IWC forum passed the resolution to uphold the UN International Court of Justice’s (ICJ) ruling saying that Japan’s “research whaling” in the Southern Ocean was illegal, because Tokyo couldn’t produce a shred of data from the so-called research.  Australia supported New Zealand’s proposal.  If you don’t want to see what Japan does to whales, don’t click here.

It’s a “crucial victory for whales,” according to Patrick Ramage, global whales program director for the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) who added, “We now urge Japan to call a permanent end to its illegal whaling activities in the Southern Ocean.”

When the ICJ ruling came down in March, Japan said it would abide by it.  Tokyo has since announced it will come up with a new plan to resume whaling in the Southern Ocean.  Although approval from the IWC strictly isn’t necessary, Japan will try to play by the rules.

“We will be providing and submitting a new research plan in the Antarctic Ocean so that we implement research activities starting from 2015,” said Joji Morishita of the Japanese delegation to the IWC.  “And all these activities are perfectly in accordance with international law, scientific basis as well as the ICJ judgment.”

“Additional action is needed to encourage and persuade the government of Japan to reconcile itself to the emerging global consensus for whale conservation, instead of whale killing, in the name of science in the 21st century,” said Ramage.