NZ: Non-Lethal Now A Non-Event?

International scientists are back in New Zealand from the Southern Ocean, with data showing (as we all knew) that whales can be researched without being killed.
The 6-week NZ-OZ Antarctic Whale Expedition achieved significant milestones, collected more than 60 biopsy samples, photo-IDs of humpback whales and acoustics data. They also placed 30 satellite tags on humpback whales to plot data on feeding grounds and migration routes back to the tropical breeding areas in winter.
It was the world's largest, non-lethal whale research expedition and it returned with a range of new information that will help future marine mammal conservation. The expedition also set out to disprove Japan's claim whales had to be killed for research. Its research will be presented to the International Whaling Commission (IWC) meeting in June in Morocco...

...which begs the question of our government: knowing this non-lethal study was underway, and knowing the research would be presented in just a few weeks...why has NZ sided with countries supporting Japan's demands for continued whale kills?????