Should Australia take an aggressive stance against Japanese whalers?

You don't say where the whalers are operating.

If Japanese whalers can sail to the Antarctic in open rowing boats - then good luck to them. Otherwise - no.

Prevent Japanese whaling in Australian waters and take an active stance to discourage whaling generally

No, just prevent it in Australian waters and use diplomacy to discourage whaling. We should not arbitrarily risk our relationship with a close ally.

Yes/No; Australia maintains a strong opposition to whaling, and its efforts as a part of the International Whaling Commission (IWC), has contributed to the cessation of whaling in the Southern Ocean. However, more still needs to be done to protect whales, as their numbers are still vulnerable to the effects of commercial whaling, they have been previously hunted down to the brink of extinction, and recently, in 2024, Japan announced that they would be expanding their commercial whaling practices.

No, prevent it in Australian waters but don't be overly aggressive. We shouldn't risk our relationship with a close ally.

No, but prevent it in Australian waters and use diplomacy to discourage Japanese whaling. While we may not approve of it, we can't risk our relationship with a close ally.