Australian gov't continues diplomacy on whaling

Australian officials continue to press the Japanese government on the issue of whaling in the Southern Ocean, Acting Prime Minister Julia Gillard said on Friday.

Gillard said the Australian Embassy in Japan has told the Japanese government its "very strong concerns," including those about sending chartered flights to monitor anti-whaling activists.

"Our embassy in Tokyo is making high-level representations to the Japanese government," she said.

"They have passed to the Japanese government our very strong concerns about the question of flights being chartered, potentially in Australia, to monitor the activity of protest vessels."

"They have passed on our very strong concerns about conduct on the high seas and of course we continue to make it very clear, our view about whaling."

"When we receive that advice, if there has been any breach of Australian law then we want that breach prosecuted," she said.

Source: Xinhua