Australia's Environment Minister Peter Garrett says a scientific approach to stopping whaling must be tried because other efforts have failed.
The former rock star made the comment during a visit to Wellington for the launch of New Zealand vessel the Tangaroa which leaves on Monday for a six-week trip to Antarctica.
The ship will collect information about whales in the Southern Ocean through non-lethal methods such as satellite tagging and analysis of blubber samples.
The findings will be presented to the International Whaling Commission (IWC) in an attempt to undermine Japan's disputed programme which kills up to 1000 whales in the region a year in the name of scientific research.
Mr Garrett says he is pursuing an evidence-based approach, as efforts from anti-whaling protesters including the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society have not worked, and the number of whales targeted by the Japanese has doubled in past years.
New Zealand's Minister for Research, Science and Technology, Wayne Mapp, says it is a significant intervention in the science and politics of the IWC.
"The research will be of course available to everyone, including all members of the IWC ... and I hope it acts as an exemplar of how we can undertake research without having to kill whales in the way that has been occurring recently."
