'Whale love' - another campaign
targeting Japan's youth

In an ongoing legal battle with Japan over whaling in the Antarctic, Australia has launched an eco-minded YouTube campaign targeting Japanese children.

Subtitled in Japanese, Environment Minister Malcolm Turnbull of Australia asks, "Can you imagine what life on Earth would be like without these magnificent creatures?" He goes on to interview Australian teens about the protection of whales during the two-minute video.

Japan plans to hunt 50 humpback whales — an endangered species — in the Antarctic this summer, and another 935 minke whale for scientific research.

Australia has given up a legal battle for Japan to recognize the country's Antarctic Whale Sanctuary, which is not recognized by other nations, according to Reuters.

Turnbull has said he would fight "in the court of public opinion."

While Japan argues the practice of whale-hunting is a rich cultural tradition, studies show the national appetite for eating the delicacy is declining.