Australian Whale Sanctuary
Coordinates35°18′07.51″S 149°08′03.70″E / 35.3020861°S 149.1343611°E / -35.3020861; 149.1343611
Established1999
Governing bodyDepartment of the Environment and Energy

The Australian Whale Sanctuary, established in 1999, aims to protect dolphins and whales from hunting in waters within the Australian government's jurisdiction.[1]

The sanctuary encompasses the entire Australian Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), extending 200 nautical miles (370 km) surrounding the continent of Australia and its external dependencies such as Christmas Island (in the Indian Ocean), Cocos (Keeling) Island, Norfolk Island, Macquarie Island and Heard Island and McDonald Islands. Additionally, it includes the EEZ adjacent to the coastline of the Australian Antarctic Territory, recognised only by the United Kingdom, New Zealand, France and Norway.[2]

The sanctuary is the scene of an ongoing controversy between Australia and Japan over whaling. In 2008 the Federal Court of Australia ruled it was illegal under Australian law for the Japanese whaling fleet to kill whales in the Sanctuary.[3][4] In 2015 Kyodo Senpaku Kaisha Ltd was found guilty of wilful contempt of court and fined A$1,000,000.[5]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Australian Whale Sanctuary". Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts. 30 November 2007. Archived from the original on 9 January 2010. Retrieved 15 January 2010.
  2. ^ "Chapter 6: Antarctic Territories" (PDF). Parliament of Australia. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 June 2008. Retrieved 16 July 2008.
  3. ^ Humane Society International Inc v Kyodo Senpaku Kaisha Ltd [2008] FCA 3, (2008) 165 FCR 510 (15 January 2008), Federal Court (Australia).
  4. ^ Darby, Andrew (16 January 2008). "Japanese whaling fleet loses in court, at sea". The Age. Retrieved 15 January 2010.
  5. ^ Humane Society International Inc v Kyodo Senpaku Kaisha Ltd [2015] FCA 1275, (2015) 238 FCR 209 (18 November 2015), Federal Court (Australia).

External links

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