The greatest natural heritage property left on planet Earth is being denied its rightful place on the list of World Heritage properties, Australian Greens Senator for Tasmania Bob Brown said today.

In Melbourne to launch polar adventurer David Neilson's book Southern Light: Images from Antarctica, the former Greens Leader called on the Antarctic Treaty 50 member nations meeting in Hobart to give priority to according Antarctic World Heritage status.

The Australian Greens have congratulated Sea Shepherd for helping end this year's whaling season but condemned the Australian Government for their lack of action.

 "Firstly, congratulations to Paul Watson and the Sea Shepherd crews who have single-handedly  saved an estimated 600 or more whales while the Australian and New Zealand Governments did nothing," Greens Leader Bob Brown said today

 "267 whales dead is 267 too many and they would not have been killed if Australia's Minister for the Environment Tony Burke had taken an injunction in the world court and succeeded.

Australian Greens Leader Senator Bob Brown has welcomed news of putative Foreign Minister Bob Carr’s intention to visit New Zealand.

Senator Brown called on Mr Carr to advance on recent talks Senator Brown held with former Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd to seek the Key Government’s backing for a World Heritage nomination for Antarctica.

“I expect Mr Carr might also use his environmental credentials to promote the kiwi plan for a 3.6m square kilometre marine national park off Australia’s Ross Sea ice shelf, “ Senator Brown said

Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown has called for the Gillard government to seek an injunction in the United States to stop the Japanese whaling slaughter currently underway in Antarctic waters.

A Seattle district court has thrown out an application by Japan for a preliminary injunction to stop Sea Shepherd's anti-whaling campaign. If the case goes to trial the court will hear evidence on the legality or otherwise of whaling.

Today brings further evidence of the need for Australia to send a patrol boat to the Southern Ocean to monitor Japanese whalers, Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown said.

"News of the assault on Sea Shepherd crew members again points to the urgent need for an Australian patrol vessel to be on site," Senator Brown said in Hobart.

Australian Greens Leader Senator Bob Brown responds to news that government has signed a "conservation agreement" that will destroy an area of Tasmanian forests that is equivalent to more than 1000 MCGs. He also announces that he has written to the Attorney-General to request an investigation into the Japanese whaling ships that were in the Australian whaling sanctuary this week.

Australian Greens Leader Senator Bob Brown releases private senator's bill which would require Australia to monitor foreign whaling vessels in and around the Australian Whale Sanctuary. He also talks about the governments' failure to protect 430,000ha of Tasmanian forests as part of the intergovernmental agreement and briefly talks about the proposed weakening of national environmental protection laws.  

A bill to ensure that if future whaling occurs in Australia's whale sanctuaries - either off Australia or Antarctica - a policing vessel is on the scene has been sent to the Opposition.

The Bill is simple amendment to the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act which inserts a new section:

Schedule 1-Amendment of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999

1.     After section 236

Insert:

236A  Monitoring foreign whaling vessels

A bill to ensure that if future whaling occurs in Australia's whale sanctuaries - either off Australia or Antarctica - a policing vessel is on the scene has been sent to the Opposition.

The Bill is simple amendment to the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act which inserts a new section:

Schedule 1-Amendment of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999

1.     After section 236

Insert:

236A  Monitoring foreign whaling vessels

Early this morning the Japanese harpoon ship Yushin Maru III was holding fast in Australia’s World Heritage Area and territorial waters off Macquarie Island.  This is despite a call from Australia to have the ship exit our territory.

The ship is breaking Australian law which prohibits the entry of such vessels into our exclusive economic zone as well as territorial waters.

“At this stage a naval vessel should be dispatched to the Macquarie Island World Heritage Area to assert Australian law,” Senator Brown said.