Ministerial Comments on Whaling
Foreign Minister Stephen Smith
21 February 2010
The question is on whaling and the activities of the Sea Shepherd. Let me deal with both of those matters. Firstly we had a very good discussion about both of those issues.
It's quite clear that we have a disagreement on whaling. The Minister and I are frank about this and we had a full and frank conversation.
Very importantly, we agreed that whatever our difference on whaling, we will not allow this to jeopardise the strength and the growth of our bilateral relationship which, as I describe it, is a comprehensive economic, strategic and security partnership. We've been working very hard over the last couple of years, both bilaterally and through the IWC, to see if we can resolve our disagreement.
But as I made clear to Foreign Minister Okada in the course of our conversations, Australia believes that time is running out.
The discussions before the International Whaling Commission small working groups have intensified.
The Australian Government has thought very carefully about this issue, and in the last week or so, has come to the conclusion that Australia will pursue before the International Whaling Commission a proposal which would see whaling in the Great Southern Oceans phased out over a reasonable period of time. And that is a position that we will put formally to the International Whaling Commission in the very near future, potentially as early as tomorrow.
So that is the position which I have put to Foreign Minister Okada.
We would hope that we could get agreement with that position, but as the Prime Minister and I have made clear in the past, if we can't get agreement to that position, then Australia would propose to seek to have that matter arbitrated internationally by Australia going to the International Court of Justice in an effort to stop whaling in the Great Southern Oceans.
On the Sea Shepherd very quickly, Australia respects the right of peaceful protest, but we do not respect any right for violent protest.
We condemn any action on the high seas which puts safety at sea at risk, and we have made this point clear from day one. That includes, for example, the throwing of projectiles from one vessel to another, and it includes people jumping on a vessel without consent and without lawful authority. And I have made it clear repeatedly that the primary responsibility for these matters lies with the nation states who are the flag states of the vessels.
In the case of incidents in the course of this season, they have primarily been New Zealand, or Dutch or Japanese vessels, which is why Australia, together with the Netherlands and New Zealand at the beginning of this whaling season made it clear that safety at sea was the highest priority.
------ Foreign Minister Stephen Smith at a joint press conference with Japanese Foreign Minister, Katsuya Okada
Trade Minister Simon Crean
16 February 2010
We don't condone lawlessness at sea and we've made that position clear publicly, as well as directly. And I had the opportunity to speak to Minister Akamatsu in Davos a couple of weeks ago, where I made exactly that point and he accepted that position on our part.
Clearly, what happens in international waters, we haven't got an ability legally to deal with. International law has to take its course.
And on the issue of whaling more generally, I agree with you that the issue of whaling - because we do hold such differences between the two governments - it shouldn't - it should not interfere with the other aspects of our bilateral relationship, around which we hold a lot in common. We're still pursuing a diplomatic solution in terms of whaling. We'll continue to persist with that.
We welcome very much Minister Okada's visit here next week. I had the opportunity to meet with him in August last year, just after they'd been sworn in. Had very good access and it was a very busy time, because the Diet was just about to meet.
------ Trade Minister Simon Crean at a Q&A session at the Foreign Correspondents' Association
Well I think that any actions that are a threat to life and security and safety at sea are to be condemned. But these are issues that are not within Australia's legal jurisdiction. We've consistently said to those that are on Sea Shepherd and Ady Gil to observe the law of the sea, to act safely and appropriately. And we continue to say that in the strongest possible way.
------ Trade Minister Simon Crean at a doorstop interview at the Foreign Correspondents' Association