Australia tells Japan to stop whaling

Australian authorities have officially told Japan to stop whaling in the wake of a
dramatic high-seas clash.
But Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has warned the anti-whaling push could harm
relations with Japan, which is Australia's biggest export market.
Australia's acting ambassador in Tokyo on Thursday spoke to the Japanese government
and to whaling officials.
Acting Prime Minister Julia Gillard said Australia was pushing the anti-whaling case
"with all of our force".
"We continue to make very clear our view about whaling, which is that it has got to
cease," she said on Friday.
The government has toughened its anti-whaling rhetoric since Wednesday's
high-profile collision between the Ady Gil protest ship and a Japanese whaling
vessel.
The $1.5 million Ady Gil is now sinking and has been abandoned by its owners, who
say it is too damaged to be salvaged or towed.
Japanese authorities has criticised the Sea Shepherd group for abandoning the Ady
Gil, saying it is leaking fuel and debris.
They released photographs which show the Ady Gil wreckage is still afloat in
pristine Antarctic waters.
The official Institute of Cetacean Research said an oily substance thought to be
fuel was leaking from the wreckage, "raising concerns that Sea Shepherd is wilfully
polluting the Antarctic environment".
A Japanese vessel salvaged part of the severed Ady Gil hull and some arrows.
The institute called on Australia and other countries to prevent Sea Shepherd's
"vicious" sabotage of the whaling fleet.
Australia's acting ambassador in Tokyo has also expressed strong concerns to Japan
about whaling authorities hiring Australian planes to spy on anti-whaling protest
ships.
Ms Gillard said if the spy flights had broken any laws, the government would
prosecute the offence to "the full force of the law".
Environment Minister Peter Garrett backed Ms Gillard's tougher talk, describing
whaling as "repugnant" and saying he was very disappointed with the Japanese
response on the issue.
But Mr Abbott did not join the attack on Japanese whaling.
When asked if pressing the anti-whaling case could damage the relationship with
Japan, Mr Abbott replied: "Of course it could."
Japan imported $A52 billion of Australian products last financial year, almost half
of it coal.
Large amounts of iron ore, beef and aluminium also made their way to Japan.
"I don't fully know who's right and who's wrong down there," Mr Abbott told Sky News
of the Antarctic clashes.
He said Prime Minister Kevin Rudd should have thought "long and hard" before
promising to take legal action against Japan.
The opposition leader would not be drawn on whether Australia should send a
government vessel to patrol the situation, saying Customs vessels were busy locating
asylum seekers.
This is in contrast to calls by the opposition's environment spokesman Greg Hunt for
a boat to be sent to save whales.
Meanwhile, the Australian Greens have sent a bill for $2 million to the Japanese
ambassador to replace the Ady Gil.
Australia and NZ have launched investigations into the high seas collision.
Federal Labor promised to take international legal action against Japanese whaling
before the last election, but as yet has not done so.
The government appeared to go cold on the idea after the election.
But the government is now talking more positively about the option, with Ms Gillard
saying it was "on the table".