Is Oz The Only One With Balls?

An Australia-Japan showdown is looming, as key International Whaling Commission nations failed today to agree on a compromise allowing Antarctic whalehunting to continue for 10 years.

Whale 'research'...yeah right!

Nasty Nippon has warned the Ockers of a major diplomatic dispute by taking Japan to the International Court of Justice over whaling, but Oz PM Rudd has repeated his threat: "If necessary, we'll take it to the ICJ before the next whaling season commences. I don't think I can be plainer than that."
The Florida meeting highlights that Australia seems the only one prepared to actually hold the line. Our gutless NZ government, Australia's longtime anti-whaling ally, now backs a compromise (curious how that positional modification has not been loudly trumpeted here!). And USA may also support it, depending upon yet-unspecified catch quotas (in other words, we'll wait and see which way the wind blows first - hmmm, just like in WWII!).
A three-quarters vote is needed to approve this cop-out deal, casting doubt on reaching a consensus...as only a third of member countries are represented at the meeting (indicating perhaps that many of them don't really give a damn anyway...?)