Japan is vowing to fight a lawsuit Australia lodged against the country in the International Court of Justice in The Hague. Japan calls Canberra's action "extremely regrettable".

Australia has been warning Japan to stop its whaling activities. It finally filed the lawsuit to the Hague. Australian experts say the file offers proof of illegal whaling on the part of Japanese ships.

Japan claims whaling is a recognized activity and it will strongly advocate its rights to it.

Commercial whaling was banned under a 1986 moratorium, but Japan still culls whales for what it says is research. Anti-whaling activists accuse the Japanese of consuming most of the whale meat they harvest.