The Federal Court has fined Japanese whaling company Kyodo $1 million for hunting whales within an Australian whale sanctuary, however there is little chance it will ever be paid, reports ABC News
The Federal Court found that Kyodo had killed whales in the Australian Whale Sanctuary and that these activities were in breach of Australia’s chief environmental protection legislation, the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act).
Humane Society International/Australia (HSI) is bringing the case after being successfully granted an injunction by the Federal Court on appeal in 2008.
On evidence that will be presented at court, HSI/Australia will argue that Kyodo disregarded this injunction and continued to kill minke whales in the Australian Whale Sanctuary. The evidence that will be presented supports HSI’s claim that the number of whales taken by Kyodo since the injunction is at least in the tens, if not the hundreds, over four separate annual whaling campaigns.
HSI/Australia Director Michael Kennedy said, “Under Australian law, whales in the Australian Whale Sanctuary in Australian Antarctic waters, are fully protected. By killing whales in the Sanctuary, Kyodo has continued to breach the terms of the 2008 injunction. If whaling in Antarctic waters does resume this year, as we fear it will, and Kyodo continues to ignore the injunction, we ask that the Australian Government raises this with the Japanese Government to ensure that Australian laws for the protection of whales are observed.”