Time is right for diplomatic end to whaling

Mr Suzuki will spend time briefing Government and Opposition MPs and Senators on the Greenpeace campaign in Japan, the opportunities to pressure the whaling industry with a new Government in Japan and the upcoming court case of the Tokyo Two.

(Greenpeace took the issue of whaling from the high seas to the Japanese Government's doorstep by exposing a broad-scale embezzlement scandal within its "scientific" whaling programme in May 2008. However, this was covered up and instead activists Junichi Sato and Toru Suzuki, the Tokyo Two, were arrested and are still awaiting trial.)

In his meetings and public talks, Toru Suzuki will  provide insight into the politics behind the whaling industry in Japan as well as discuss the dramatic change in Japan's political landscape, and how this can be used to diplomatically end whaling in the Southern Ocean.

"With the first real change of government in Japan in 50 years, we have a window of opportunity to push the incoming government to live up to its election promises and stamp out corruption and the waste of taxpayer money in the whaling industry," said Mr Suzuki. "The industry is already struggling to stay afloat, and if it lost government support it would disappear virtually overnight."

With little more than two months before the normal scheduled departure of the Japanese Government-sponsored whaling fleet, the key message for Kevin Rudd is that strong pressure must be applied now, before the slaughter begins.

"Prime Minister Kevin Rudd should take advantage of this opportunity and visit the new Japanese Prime Minister immediately, asking him to retire this environmentally and economically bankrupt programme once and for all," said Mr Suzuki.