A Picture to Shock the World

A photograph taken during this year’s Japanese whaling campaign is shocking the public worldwide. The picture shows two minke whales, a juvenile and an adult, being dragged into the belly of the Japanese whaling mother ship “Nisshin Maru”. Once on board, the two marine mammals will be dissected, examined and, later, eaten. This is what the Japanese refer to as “whale research”. Everyone knows that this justification is no more than a flimsy excuse, or, to put it more bluntly, a lie. Which is why the Australian government has now decided to take decisive action. Environment Minister Peter Garrett and Prime Minister Kevin Rudd defend the publication of the cruel photos, which Japan bitterly complained about. They plan to collect further evidence in order to determine whether Japan ’s whaling operations should be taken to the ICJ or ITLOS. Australia wants to continue along this road despite the fact that the photos and related reports may mar relations between the two countries.
Petra Deimer