A series of meetings are underway to discuss a proposal which anti-whaling protesters say could make or break the fate of whales.
The Government has distanced itself from the International Whaling Convention's draft proposal which would restrict – but not ban – commercial whaling.
But the anti-whaling lobby says the response hasn't been strong enough and it will present a 53,000 signature petition to Parliament today insisting the Government fight the plan.
“They can't simply go back to banging the table and saying this is unacceptable because if they don't get those bottom lines into that deal then we lose this opportunity and we may not have an opportunity like this in the near future to bring an end to whaling,” says Karli Thomas of Greenpeace.
Australia has lodged an application to the International Court of Justice to prevent Japan from whaling in the Southern Ocean – but New Zealand anti-whaling groups say it's important the focus stays on the IWC negotiations.
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