Footage showing the killing of a minke whale by Japanese whalers in 2008 was released to the public for the first time on Tuesday, November 28, after Sea Shepherd Australia successfully sought a copy from the Australian government.The video shows the killing of a minke whale in an Australian whale sanctuary.In May 2017, the Australian Information Commissioner refuted the government’s concerns the release would harm relations with Japan, saying “the Department’s claim of damage to international relations is without foundation since images that are consistent with the footage in the documents is already available in the public domain.”“The Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary is an area of 50 million square kilometres surrounding the entire continent of Antarctica where the International Whaling Commission (IWC) has banned all types of commercial whaling,” Sea Shepherd Australia stated. “Despite a ban on all whaling in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary, Japan’s Whale Research Program continues to hunt Minke whales in the Sanctuary.”According to the Sydney Morning Herald, a Japanese embassy spokesman said the activity recorded was part of the “research” and conducted in accordance with the International Convention for Regulation of Whaling.Sea Shepherd Australia demanded that the Australian government “take a stand and put a stop to the slaughter, for good.” Credit: Sea Shepherd Australia via Storyful