HSI Australia

Delivering the papers.

In the wake of the January 15, 2008 ruling by the Australian Federal Court that Japanese whaling company Kyodo Senpaku Kaisha is in breach of Australian law by killing whales in the Australian Whale Sanctuary, a team from HSI Australia flew to Tokyo on January 23 to serve papers to the company's management. Although the Japanese refused to accept the papers, the Australians successfully informed them that these were court orders from the Australian Federal Court asking that they refrain from whaling in the Australian Whale Sanctuary and left the papers at their feet. This action meets the guidelines for “service on a reluctant party.”

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Currently, Kyodo Senpaku Kaisha has authorization from the Japanese government to kill 935 minke whales and 50 fin whales in Antarctica this summer, 90 percent of which were expected to be taken in the Australian Whale Sanctuary. Observers on Australian Customs vessel the Oceanic Viking have already reported seeing least five whales killed.

Newspaper The Australian is reporting that the whaling company refuses to acknowledge the court’s judgment because Japan does not recognize Australia's Exclusive Economic Zone, but predicts that Australian Prime Minister Rudd will be pressured by the public to support the court’s ruling and take Japan to an international tribunal.