Judge Bans Japanese Whalers in Aussie Waters

An Australian judge has banned hunting by Japanese whalers in a large section of their traditional grounds in Australian-claimed waters off Antarctica. The ruling came today just hours after crew members of a militant eco-ship boarded a Japanese whaling vessel in the Southern Ocean to deliver a protest note—then were "kidnapped" by the whalers and tied to a mast, the AP reports.

The Australian injunction will be difficult to enforce, though the government has sent a ship to record evidence of infractions. Canberra prefers a cooperative approach to stop the Japanese fleet from its "so-called scientific whaling" that is expected to kill 1,000 minke and fin whales, said the nation's environmental minister. Very few countries recognize Antarctic territorial claims, complicating Australia’s position. (More Japan stories.)