NZ joins call to stop Japanese whaling

  • Rt Hon Winston Peters
Foreign Affairs

New Zealand has joined an international call for Japan to end its on-going whaling in the Southern Ocean and to respect the International Whaling Commission’s processes.

Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters says New Zealand is a co-signatory to a written statement issued today which reiterates opposition to Japan’s so called “scientific” whaling.

The statement is also supported by the governments of Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, the European Union and its member states, Mexico, Panama, Peru, and Uruguay. 

“This statement highlights the strong international disapproval of Japan’s continued whaling in the Southern Ocean contrary to IWC requests,” says Mr Peters.

“New Zealand will continue to work closely with other IWC members seeking to have Japan rethink what it is doing,” he says.

The international statement can be located at:

https://www.mfat.govt.nz/en/media-and-resources/ministry-statements-and-speeches/joint-statement-on-whaling/