Australia Bans Japanese Whalers from its Ports
Monday, January 15, 2007 Posted: 07:13 PM JST
AFP reports that Japanese whaling ships on their annual hunt in the Antarctic are banned from docking in Australia and should use restraint in looming clashes with protesters, Canberra has said. A fleet of six Japanese whalers plans to kill nearly 1,000 whales in the name of scientific research, while activists from Greenpeace and Sea Shepherd conservation groups have threatened to try and stop them.
Australia's Environment Minister Ian Campbell told national radio he was strongly opposed to whaling and the Japanese fleet operating in the Southern Ocean would not be allowed to enter Australian ports. "They can only do that with my permission and I will not grant permission to Japanese whaling vessels or support vessels to use Australian ports," he said. "They are banned from Australian ports as long as I'm the minister."
Keywords: national_news
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