The authorities in Australia have said that they are considering taking legal actions against Japan’s decision to resume whaling in the Southern Ocean.

Australian foreign affairs minister Julie Bishop and environment minister Greg Hunt said in a joint statement that, “The Australian government does not support what is a deeply disappointing decision by Japan and we will continue to raise our concerns at the highest level of the Japanese government.”

Australia has been against allowing whaling and has also challenged Japan in international forums. Australia is joining a group of 32 countries to protest against Japan's decision to resume whaling. The International Whaling Commission banned commercial whaling in 1986 but Japan had filed an appeal to resume small-scale commercial whaling near its coasts.

The Australian government had challenged Japan in the International Court of Justice in 2010 over its whaling activities. The court had ruled Japan's whaling was a commercial activity and not the scientific and research activity as argued by Japan.

Japan halted its whaling in the Southern Ocean for a year but it has sent a fleet to the Antarctica amid stiff opposition from several nations. Japan claims that it is for research purposes but others are contesting this argument. The World Wide Fund for Nature data showed that Japan has killed more than 8,200 minke whales in Antarctic waters since 1986.