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Using the Scientific Committee's estimate that the humpback whale population is growing at 10 percent per year, Morimoto says, "It would now be more than 2.5 times what it was at that time and more than three times what it was when IUCN did their assessment."
The fin whale is listed by the IUCN Red List as Endangered, but the listing is described as "out of date" because the population assessment was done in 1996.
Nearly three-quarters of a million fin whales were reportedly taken in the Southern Hemisphere alone between 1904 and 1979, according IWC figures noted on the IUCN Red List.
The IUCN says, "Fin whales are rarely encountered today in those areas of the Southern Hemisphere where they were taken in large numbers. The species was classified as Endangered (under the 1996 categories and criteria) on the basis of an estimated decline of at least 50 percent worldwide over the last three generations - assumed generation time was 20-25 years.
The Australian ministers say the government led by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd will "upgrade" efforts at the International Whaling Commission, which holds its annual meeting next June in Santiago, Chile.
Garrett and Smith said, "The government will develop its own proposal for improving and modernizing the IWC - which will include closing the loophole that allows for scientific whaling."
The Humane Society International, HSI, based in Australia welcomed the Rudd government's plan of action against Japanese whaling.
"Sending a vessel down to monitor the hunt is a significant step further than the previous government was prepared to take and we hope it will signal to Japan that their disrespect for international and Australian law to protect whales will no longer be tolerated. However, it remains to be seen whether this action will be sufficient to stop the hunt taking place," said Nicola Beynon, HSI wildlife and habitat program manager.
HSI is awaiting a ruling from the Australian Federal Court where the organization is seeking an injunction to order that the hunt in the Australian Whale Sanctuary be stopped.
The previous government had opposed the case due to the diplomatic ramifications it could have with the Japanese government.
The Rudd government has withdrawn the previous government's submission to the Federal Court , which expressed those concerns, and asked the court to disregard the opposition of the previous government.
"If HSI is successful in securing an injunction, we and the Australian public will be expecting the government to enforce it," said Benyon.
In its pre-election platform, the newly elected Australian Labor Party gave commitments to enforce an injunction if it is issued.
"If they have a vessel in proximity to the whale hunt, they will be well placed to do so," said Beynon. "This hunt cannot be allowed to go ahead."
"There is very little that is new here," said Captain Paul Watson from onboard the Sea Shepherd ship Steve Irwin off the coast of Antarctica. The ship is headed to the Southern Ocean to interrupt the Japanese whale hunt.
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