Australia 'has spine to take on whalers'

Australia is the only country with the backbone to stand up to whaling nations while New Zealand's solution is "ridiculous", according to Paul Watson from the anti-whaling Sea Shepherd group.

Representatives from Australia and New Zealand are among 88 nations attending an International Whaling Commission meeting in Morocco, which has been sent behind closed doors to consider a compromise that would give Japan, Iceland and Norway new commercial whaling rights in return for a reduced kill.

Australia and New Zealand oppose the proposal, but New Zealand whaling commissioner Sir Geoffrey Palmer has said allowing some whales to be hunted is the best way to control the large number being killed by the Japanese.

Captain Watson said this solution was "ridiculous".

"It's like, let's kill whales in order to save them," he said. "It's nothing more than buying time for Japan to come up with something else."

Australia wants a blanket ban on whaling and does not accept the notion that allowing some whales to be killed will save others.

"Australia probably is the one country that has demonstrated any backbone in this entire affair," Captain Watson said.

- AAP