(Untitled)

[dv8nation]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-14132320

Despite continued international pressure and the acts of radical environmental groups Japan's whaling fleet will be shipping out again.

Frankly I wish Japan would just knock off the whaling. For one, if you've

Comments

[underlankers]

Honestly, that Japan gets away with blatant violations of international law like this whaling is one reason I have no respect for international law except when convenient in Internet arguments. Because this is illegal under the laws of nations and you will not tend to see this brought up by the states that should be putting a stop to it.

[allhatnocattle]

There is a prohibition against whaling that is International Law??? I thought that if you didn't sign the International Convention for Regulation of Whaling, then it wouldn't apply.

[a_new_machine]

Yeah, AFAIK there's no customary law (which is what gets applied to countries not parties to specific treaties or conventions) against whaling.

[anfalicious]

There is unless it's for scientific experiments. This is the basis of the Australian court case; the argument is that Japan aren't whaling for scientific purposes.

[allhatnocattle]

If you don't sign treaty or convention, I don't see how you could possibly be bound by it. Much like Universal Declaration of Human Rights is considered International Law binding on all member states of the UN, but not binding on states like Kosovo, Taiwan and South Sudan.

[anfalicious]

Japan has signed the IWC treaty, that's the one where they got the pass to do scientific whaling. That's the basis for the legal action; they're not doing scientific whaling.

[a_new_machine]

Hey, we do the same thing. Look at the recent execution in Texas, in clear violation of US commitments to treaties on access to consular facilities.

[anfalicious]

Australia has launched an injunction with the ICJ, Japan's response is due next March.