FED:Whaling talks confidential: Rudd

AAP General News (Australia)
02-19-2011
FED:Whaling talks confidential: Rudd

Eds: restores keyword from Japan Whaling

CANBERRA, Feb 19 AAP - The federal government has refused to be drawn on the tenor
of a meeting between the Japanese foreign minister and Australia's ambassador in Tokyo
following a premature end to the whaling season.

Japan announced on Friday it was bringing home its harpoon ships a month early for
safety reasons following a series of clashes with anti-whaling activists.

Its foreign ministry called in the Australian, New Zealand and Dutch ambassadors to
demand "effective measures to avoid the recurrence of Sea Shepherd's obstructionist activities".

But Australian Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd on Saturday refused to comment on details
of that meeting.

"Our ambassador attended a meeting at the Japanese foreign ministry in Tokyo yesterday,"

Mr Rudd told reporters in Sydney.

"(But) as I'm sure you'd understand and respect, the contents of diplomatic conversations
should remain confidential."

Mr Rudd said Australia was keen to see a permanent end to so-called scientific whaling
in the Southern Ocean which was why Labor launched legal action last year.

"We've done so amicably with our friends in Tokyo," he said.

"We believe it's important to use the international institutions to resolve matters
where we have a different perspective."

Australia launched proceedings against Japan in the International Court of Justice
in May. A determination isn't expected until at least 2013.

Greens leader Bob Brown on Saturday scoffed at Japan's call for Australia to take action
against Sea Shepherd.

"It's the Japanese whaling fleet that's behaving in an illegal fashion and it's them
who should be the subject of an interim injunction - court action now - to see that they
don't come back into the southern hemisphere," Senator Brown told reporters in Sydney.

Sea Shepherd uses Australian and Dutch registered ships to harass Japanese whalers.

The US-based conservation group uses ports here and in New Zealand as bases.

Founder Paul Watson has hailed Japan's decision to quit whaling this week.

"This is a great victory for the whales but we did not do this alone," he said on Friday.

"Without the support of the people of Australia and New Zealand we would not have been
able to send voyages out for seven seasons."

AAP jcd/dep/nb

KEYWORD: WHALING WRAP

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