The Australian Greens today accused the Rudd Government of backing down on whaling.

Senator Rachel Siewert said when asked in estimates hearings that the Government still hasn't decided whether to take legal action to protect whales or committed funding to ongoing surveillance of whaling activities.

"We have the next whaling season starting in the very near future but still no decision from the Government," said Senator Siewert.

"As far back as June, Minister for the Environment Peter Garrett was quoted as saying that a decision about legal action will 'be made at such a time as the Cabinet and the Government decides that it is something which we need to move forward on."

"Well, it is time to move forward," said Senator Siewert.

"How much more consideration do they need to give to legal action? There is a wealth of international legal advice already available that shows there are a number of legal avenues to take."

"In addition to not progressing legal action, the Government still hasn't allocated resources to any surveillance operations for the coming season which is likely to start late November or early December."

"We are nearly at the start of the next whaling season - I urge Minister Garrett to take action before we have to sit by and watch our whale population hunted under the guise of ‘scientific research,'" she concluded.

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