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Ships collide in Antarctic whaling clash
(Agencies)
Updated: 2009-02-06 12:55

SYDNEY -- A boat carrying a group of radical anti-whaling activists collided with a Japanese whaling vessel in the Antarctic Ocean on Friday. No injuries were immediately reported.

Activist Paul Watson of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society said his boat, the Steve Irwin, was trying to prevent a Japanese ship from dragging a whale on board Friday when another Japanese boat shot in front of Watson's boat, and the two collided.


The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society ship the Steve Irwin (foreground) collides with the stern of Japanese whaling ship the Yushin Maru 2 in the Southern Ocean in this February 6, 2009 handout picture. An anti-whaling protest ship collided with a Japanese whaling vessel in the Southern Ocean on Friday as the Japanese tried to haul a dead whale on board, said the anti-whaling group Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. [Agencies]

"The situation down here is getting very, very chaotic and very aggressive," Watson told The Associated Press, speaking by satellite phone from the boat.

Shigeki Takaya, a Fisheries Agency spokesman for whaling in Japan, said the Japanese government was investigating whether anyone on board the whaling vessels was injured in the fracas. Watson said no one was injured.

"This is absolutely appalling and unforgivable," Takaya said, confirming the collision occurred but declining to give any additional details. "We will ask concerning countries, including Australia, to immediately stop them from carrying out such horrendous acts."

Chiharu Tsuruoka, a Foreign Ministry official in Japan, called Friday's incident between Japan's whalers and the Dutch-registered Steve Irwin "extremely unforgivable."

"We have repeatedly asked the Dutch government to stop them from harassing us, but so far it's been so unsuccessful," Tsuruoka said.

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