Anti-whaling group Sea Shepherd is preparing for another round of confrontation with Japanese whaling ships on the Southern Ocean after Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe indicated Japan would continue its discredited "scientific" whaling program.
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In April, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) found the permits granted by Japan for its whaling program were not scientific research as defined under International Whaling Commission rules.
In a joint media conference with Prime Minister Tony Abbott this week, Mr Abe said Japan would abide by the court's decision but said Japan was committed to scientific whaling research.
"One of the objectives of the international convention for regulating whaling is a sustainable use of resources," Mr Abe said.
"Based on this, Japan will engage in research on whaling to protect the indispensable scientific information [we need] to manage the whale resources."
Sea Shepherd captain Paul Watson said on Thursday that he expected Japan to try to circumvent the ICJ's ruling by launching a new "scientific" whaling program this summer. Another court challenge could drag out for years, he said.
"For 10 years Japan has been calling us eco-terrorists and bandits and militants. Well the tables are turned: they're the ones who are the criminals and we're simply upholding international conservation law," Mr Watson told ABC radio.
"The only way it's going to play out if Sea Shepherd is going to go down every year and prevent them killing as many whales as possible.
"We are managing to protect thousands of whales through a direct intervention and I guess we'll just have to continue doing that."
At a state dinner on Tuesday, Greens senator Peter Whish-Wilson handed a letter to Mr Abe from Sea Shepherd warning against the resumption of whaling.
Mr Watson accused Mr Abbott of not being critical enough of Japan's plans to restart whaling. "I don't think Tony Abbott cares for the whales one bit so I wouldn't be surprised if Abbott says nothing about it," he said.
Mr Abbott said this week the friendship between Japan and Australia was "far far bigger than our disagreement on one particular subject".
"Obviously Australia and Japan respectfully differ on the question of whaling," he said.
"Friends can disagree on subjects and that's in no way inconsistent with a strong and growing friendship."
