After months of intense pressure from Australia to abandon the hunting of humpback whales, it seems that the Japanese government has finally caved in. In a statement from the country's new chief spokesman Nobutaka Machimura, it was announced that "Japan will not hunt humpback whales".
The statement comes shortly after Australia threatened military-style action, as Prime Minister Kevin Rudd announced plans to send an armed observation ship to track the Japanese whaling fleet and gather evidence for a possible lawsuit at the International Court of Justice in The Hague. Until today, Japan had stood by its plans to hunt humpbacks around Antarctica, insisting that the whales were being hunted for 'scientific purposes'.
Mr Machimura said of the u-turn: “It’s true that Australia expressed quite a strong opinion to Japan on this. As a result, I hope that this will lead to better relations with Australia.” [Via Environmental Graffiti]
This news made my day. I know it's only a small victory in the scheme of things, but lots of small victories add up. Yay for Australia!