Don't expect to hear trumpets. Australia has won a stunning victory over Japan in the international court, with every reason to expect the deeply unpopular pseudo-scientific whale hunt is at an end.
But Tony Abbott would never have taken this court action – and won't make a big noise about it.
To him, Labor's threat in 2010 to haul Japan was a needless way to antagonise ''our most important trading partner, a fellow democracy, an ally''. He even warned that any action beyond sending a patrol ship could be construed as ''war like''.
His claim then was overblown and not clearly expressed. The court action carried risks, but conservatives regularly emphasise the importance of values in foreign policy and on whaling, Australians are overwhelmingly opposed.
Australia stood up for what is right after years fruitless diplomacy to end the hunt. The court is a venue to manage a dispute between friends, a point both sides emphasised in the proceedings.
And now – with Japan making clear it will respect the ruling – the countries can hope the whaling problem is finally behind them.
But there will be voices in Japan of outrage at Australia's action. Abbott will cop some flak. Whaling has been adopted as a cultural emblem among many who complain Japan has surrendered too much of its history in the years after World War II.
Japan has spent years, millions of dollars, and countless diplomatic capital in defence of its whale hunt. It's a huge investment to walk away from.
The whale lobby will pressure Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, a keen proponent of nationalist sentiment, to escape the ban.
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