Japan has admitted to the International Court of Justice that Australia considers whales are "sacred"

In the early hours of 3 June 2013 (Australian Eastern Standard Time) Japan - in its opening argument in Whaling in the Antarctic (Australia v. Japan: New Zealand intervening) before the International Court of Justice - admitted that Australia considers whales are "sacred".

Every Aboriginal community and group who made this fact known to the world can be very proud today that Japan was forced to admit this fact to the Court.

Unfortunately Japan went on to characterize its alleged cultural right to slaughter whales as taking precedence over other peoples cultural rights.

Japan also asserted that Australia had politicized science and is bringing the International Whaling Commission to "the brink of collapse".

Today's court transcripts will be found at Whaling in the Antarctic (Australia v. Japan: New Zealand intervening) Oral Proceedings.

Background:

Indigenous Whale Dreaming in Australia - then and now....*ATSIC readers please note that this post may contain images of persons who are deceased