Member for Cunningham Sharon Bird and Member for Throsby Stephen Jones have today welcomed the International Court of Justices historic decision in the case Australia took against Japanese whaling.

The former Labor Government brought this case against Japan in 2010 and it was strongly supported in our local area. I am very pleased that this decision will mean that a program which has seen Japan kill thousands of whales in the Southern Ocean will at last be brought to an end, Ms Bird said

Labor is opposed to commercial whaling, said Jones.

We are concerned, not only about the environmental impacts of Japans whaling practices, but about bringing attention to the fact that Japan was in breach of the International Convention for the Regulation of Whalings ban on commercial whaling.

I welcome todays announcement that the International Court of Justice has upheld our arguments.

Ms Bird and Mr Jones said that the Government now needs to begin discussions with Japan to ensure the cooperation on the development of whaling research that is genuine and non-lethal.