Australia has rejected Japan's Antarctic whaling as dangerous and a fairy tale as it laid out for the first time at the International Court of Justice the case against the practice.
Japan's controversial ''scientific'' whaling program came under detailed attack from senior counsel for Australia before the court, and in a lengthy written case released at The Hague.
The court heard Japan's decision to take up to 935 minke whales each year under self-awarded scientific permits in the Antarctic could be catastrophic if the example was followed by other countries.
Australia is asking the court to order a halt to the whaling in the case which is to be argued before its 16 judges over four weeks. A decision from the court is expected later this year.