Antarctic whaling thwarted by activists

Japan's Antarctic whaling catch fell far short of its target this season, hampered by a series of skirmishes with anti-whaling protesters, the Fisheries Agency said yesterday.

The fleet caught only 551 minke whales, compared with the planned catch of 850. No fin whales were caught at all, although it had set a target of 50, a Fisheries Ministry official said.

"Sabotage by activists is a major factor behind our failure to achieve our target," the official said.